Governor David Umahi has kicked against shutting out political parties other than the All Progressives Congress from government-owned facilities and instructed the Ebonyi Ministry of Youth and Sports to grant the Labour Party the use of a stadium for a campaign rally.
According to a statement issued Thursday by his media aide Chooks Oko, Mr Umahi gave the order while addressing commissioners and heads of government agencies and departments in his hometown, Uburu.
“The Labour Party has applied that they want to use the stadium on Jan. 11. They must be allowed to use it, but they must comply with the state Executive Order. No Party should be denied the use of our facilities, but the laws of the state must be obeyed,” the Ebonyi governor stated.
The Ebonyi government had earlier placed restrictions on its facilities, including schools and markets, for campaign rallies.
The governor further admonished all political actors to always put the development of Ebonyi first in their actions and insisted that the state would continue to fare better under the APC at all levels.
“I continue to say that our first interest is Ebonyi as a state, and our party is APC. There is nothing like ‘vote here’ and ‘vote elsewhere’ in all the elections,” said Mr Umahi.