The Public Relations Officer for UNIPORT, Dr Sam Kpenu, made the denial in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday and made available to newsmen.
Reports on social media that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, will hold his campaign at the University of Port Harcourt has been debunked. The denial comes 24 hours after the Rivers State government through the Commissioner for Sports, Christopher Green, revoked its approval of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium near Port Harcourt given to the PDP Presidential Campaign Council for Atiku’s rally scheduled for February 11, 2023. The Public Relations Officer for UNIPORT, Dr Sam Kpenu, made the denial in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday and made available to newsmen. Kpenu stated that the management of the institution has not authorised any political rally in the university, saying the school was not a political ground for rallies. He further said the university was not considering releasing its facility to the PDP PCC or its standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar. While noting that it was the figment of the imagination of the author, he called on members of the public to discountenance what he termed ‘deliberate falsehood’ aimed at tarnishing the soaring image of the university. The statement reads, “The attention of the authorities of the University of Port Harcourt has been drawn to an online report credited to one Mr Humble lion with the telephone number +234 7031061646 making the rounds on the social media that ‘ATIKU Presidential Campaign holds @UniPort.“The Management wishes to state as follows: That management has not authorised any political campaign rally at the University.“That the University is not a political ground for political campaigns “And that it is not contemplating releasing its facility to the Atiku Campaign Council.” It continued, “The public is, therefore, called upon to discountenance this deliberate falsehood aimed at tarnishing the towering reputation of the University as it is simply a figment of the imagination of the author.“The institution warns the originator of this falsehood to desist forthwith or face the wrath of the law.“Meanwhile, this issue has been reported to law enforcement agencies for appropriate action.”
