In what appears as a move to “silence” those in support of Atiku Abubakar, the government of Rivers State under Governor Nyesom Wike has revoked the Certificate of Occupancy of land allocated to former Senator Lee Maeba at the Golf Course, GRA in Port Harcourt.
Atiku Campaign Chairman’s Plot Revoked By Wike
Atiku is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the 2023 general election.
Maeba is a strong supporter of Atiku and sits as the chairman of the party’s presidential campaign council in Rivers State.
Reports say Maeba, alongside a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Austin Opara, former governor of the state (now de-recognised) Sir Celestine Omehia, and a serving member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chinyere Igwe, whose filling station was sealed, fell out of favour with the governor after they visited Atiku soon after his emergence as the candidate.
Wike and other aggrieved PDP governors said they would not work for the presidential candidate of the party for some reasons.
The five governors have not hidden their position and they had vowed not to work for Atiku except for the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu steps down from office for a southerner to occupy the office.
The five governors are Wike, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Seyi Makinde of Rivers, Enugu, Benue, Abia, and Oyo states respectively.
The revocation order was contained in a letter addressed to Senator Maeba on November 2, 2022.
The letter was signed by Ochiagha Onyebuchi, the acting Director, Head of Department, Acquisition, Valuation, and Compensation, Ministry of Lands and Survey, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary.
The letter was titled “Re: Allocation of Plot 20A Golf Course Layout, Old GRA Port Harcourt.”
It read, “I am directed to inform you that your allocation at Plot 20A Golf Course Layout, old GRA, Port Harcourt, has been cancelled as shown on the attached Rivers State Official Gazette No. 22 Vol. 58, dated September 20, 2022.
“Please accept the warm regards of the Permanent Secretary.”
In his reaction, Maeba said he was surprised at the development.
He said, “How can a governor grant a certificate of occupancy and withdraw it six months later?”
According to him, the land was allocated to him with a Certificate of Occupancy duly signed by Governor Wike himself.
In other news, Kanyi Daily the PDP has sunk into a deeper crisis as Oyo party leaders attacked Governor Makinde over his refusal to support Atiku.
The leaders said they would work and deliver the state for Atiku in 2023.