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RESPECT!: Edo Govt Concedes Use Of Stadium To Patience Jonathan, Cancels Aisha Buhari's Event

Published

10 years ago

March 11, 2015

The Edo State Government has conceded the use of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City to the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, on Saturday. The facility was initially scheduled for use on the same day by Hajia Aisha Buhari, the wife of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari. Edo State, which has Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as governor, is controlled by the APC.
The state government in a statement by its Commissioner for Information, Loius Odion, said despite the fact that the APC paid first for the facility and had started running jingles on the programme at hand, it will concede the use of the state-owned stadia to the First Lady. It said it was sure that some elements within the Peoples Democratic Party, on which platform Dame Jonathan is visiting the state, would have started spoiling for a fight. It, however, said the APC was out to disappoint such people.
The statement by Odion reads: “The mix-up in the use of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Saturday, March 14, 2015 was occasioned by the laxity on the part of the officials of the Ministry of Sports who, without reference to their supervisors, proceeded to collect money and issue receipt only yesterday (Tuesday) to the PDP for use of the stadium knowing full well that the APC had, last week, applied for and got approval for use of same facility same day. “In fact, jingles were already running on local television and radio stations announcing that the wife of APC’s presidential candidate, Hajia Aisha Buhari, would be in Benin on Saturday, March 14, 2015 to deliver the message of change to Edo women.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that being the owner of the said facility, Edo State Government reserves the right to insist that the party that got approval first be allowed use of the stadium. In the circumstance, we imagine the idle denizens of Edo PDP must by now be salivating at the prospects of having an opportunity to unleash mayhem on peace-loving people of Edo State with the excuse that money was collected from them. “But as civilized people, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has directed that Mrs.Patience Jonathan, the First Lady, be granted use of the stadium on Saturday, while Hajia Aisha Buhari, wife of the APC presidential candidate will have her turn on another day.”