The Abia State Government has asked Labour Party (LP) in the state to change the venue of its planned rally scheduled to hold on Thursday.
The state chapter of the LP scheduled a rally to be held at Ngwa High School, Aba, for the flag-off of its governorship campaign in the state.
The LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Alex Otti, are expected to attend the rally, alongside other candidates of the party.
But in a letter, dated 8 November and addressed to the state Chairperson of the LP, Ceekay Igara, by the Commissioner for Post Basic Education in the state, Israel Mark, the government said the rally would cause disruption of academic activities in the school.
Mr Mark explained that all public schools, including Ngwa High School, Aba, were still in an academic session.
“It will be wrong to set this bad precedent of chasing away our hard-working school children and their teachers in order to hold political rallies that will not only disrupt academic activities but also predispose school properties to vandalisation,” he said.
“We therefore wish to strongly advise that you immediately consider changing the venue of your planned event or seek another date when school children will not be in school,” the commissioner added.
The letter was copied to the Director, State Security Service in Abia State, Friday Onuche, and the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mustapha Bala.