Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, made the threat on Friday while speaking at the inauguration of coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has openly threatened to force his way into the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, accusing the state government of deliberately denying his political allies access to the public facility for a rally.
Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, made the threat on Friday while speaking at the inauguration of coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The event held at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, where Wike addressed a large gathering of supporters, party loyalists, and political associates.
According to the former governor, the Rivers State Government had rejected an application by the group to use the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, a move he described as unacceptable and politically motivated.
“But let me say, next time we will do this, if you don’t approve it, we will break it by force,” Wike said.
Wike went further to instruct the state coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors to reapply for the facility, insisting that the group would not back down.
“So the coordinator of the state, write again to the state government. Choose a day, and we will inaugurate the ward level,” he said.
“I want to say to everybody to hear: enough is enough. We are all from Rivers State. Nobody can deny us the facilities of the state.”
Meanwhile, the minister doubled down on his threat, suggesting that forceful access to the stadium would not have dire consequences.
“If you don’t agree to give us, we will do the needful, and we take it by force. Heaven will never fall. Even when heaven falls, everywhere will be at peace,” Wike declared.
The former governor also urged his supporters not to be intimidated by what he described as harassment and intimidation from the Rivers State Government.
“We must go and make sure this is inaugurated ward by ward, unit by unit, and we will take a date to make sure we inaugurate them,” he said.
“I have told the leadership of the party, the way they have done for local government, so we will do for the wards. We will provide vehicles for each of the wards.”
Wike assured the coordinators of logistical and financial backing, stating that council members had pledged additional commitments to support the mobilisation efforts.
“So nobody should be intimidated. We are here to support you,” he told the crowd.
“The members of various councils have agreed to make more commitments to make sure each ward gets a bus, to make sure the campaign for the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ is being realized.”
However, the Rivers State government swiftly dismissed Wike’s claims, describing them as false, misleading, and deliberately intended to incite tension.
Speaking to journalists on Friday evening after an inspection tour of the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Honour Sirawoo, denied that the facility was denied to any group on political grounds.
Sirawoo explained that the stadium is currently undergoing extensive reconstruction and is therefore unsafe for public gatherings.
He said that due to the level of work being carried out at the facility, no organisation, political group, or individual has been granted access to the stadium.
According to him, the claim that the Rivers State Government selectively blocked the Renewed Hope Ambassadors from using the stadium was baseless.
“With the level of ongoing reconstruction at the facility, no group can use it as of now,” Sirawoo said.