The Delta government has said that it never denied Labour Party the use of a venue to hold its presidential campaign rally in Asaba.
Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who stated this at a news briefing on Tuesday in Asaba, described the party’s allegation as ‘cheap lies and blackmail.’
Aniagwu said that the state government had, at no point in time, denied the party and its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi any venue for campaign rally.
According to him, with barely 10 minutes after approving the Oshimili Arcade in Asaba and granting the Labour Party the necessary waiver, the party ran to the social media to say it was denied a venue.
“These are cheap lies and blackmail because there was never a time that the Delta government denied the party access to a venue for its campaign rally,” he said.
The commissioner stated that the party, ab initio, did not apply to government for use of any facility in the state.
He, however, said given its democratic credentials and in order to avoid falling into a trap, the state government had to approve the use of the arcade for the rally.
Aniagwu said that the state government decided to waive the issue of the application and the payment which the party ought to have done before securing the venue.
He said: “They thought we would hold on to the fact that they didn’t apply and then make it look like every person is their own, and that Asaba is shut down.
“Members of the party should know that our desire to rebuild Nigeria must not be based on lies and blackmail, but on truth and character,” (NAN)
