The Governor explained that the request for stadium use came too late because certain procedures and precautions had to be followed if the facility was to be used for such an event.
He added that he thought Obi and his team were more serious, but was disappointed that they only submitted their application for stadium use about twenty-four hours before the event began.

Obaseki added that Obi informed him of his plans to visit Edo but didn’t state he was coming for a campaign rally.
During a Friday night appearance on Channels TV the Governor said the government agency which denied Obi the use of the stadium acted professionally.
He said: “Well, there are several venues in Benin for rallies, I heard that they [Labour Party] applied on Wednesday night to hold a rally at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Friday morning, giving us one day’s notice.
“The tracks in that stadium are still under warranty. The pitch has to be maintained in a certain mode. So it is not just another facility you just can go in and use without preparing. If they knew they had a rally on Friday morning, why could not they give more time and notice so we could give them the conditions under which they could use the pitch.”
“I expected more from the Labour Party. I thought they were more serious, you cannot be planning for a rally on a Friday and be giving less than two days.
“I spoke to my friend Peter Obi the night before he told me he was coming to the state, and we offered him all the courtesy, including security and some logistics, but I did not know they were coming for rallies.
“For me, the issues did not even come to me. The people at the sports commission knew what to do, and they did it professionally,” he added.
Obi and his party held their campaign rally in Edo State on Friday at the Baptist Convention Ground Oliha Quarters, TV Road Benin City after they were denied the use of other government facilities as claimed by the Labour Party publicity secretary in the state, Comr. Sam Oroupa.
Meanwhile the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi took to his micro-blogging site, Twitter to appreciate the love and support he got from his supporters in Edo State on Friday.
Sharing pictures of the massive crowd that stormed the campaign ground, Obi wrote: “What an awesome and OBIdient crowd in Benin. I am deeply humbled by Edo people’s show of love and support. -PO”
Obi also paid a courtesy visit to the Oba of Benin as part of his activities in Edo State on Friday.
Speaking about the visit, the LP presidential candidate via his Twitter handle, described the crowd that welcomed him as humongous and the reception as wonderful and warm.
His tweet read, “I am in the palace of the Oba of Benin; greeted by a humongous crowd, wonderful reception and warm hospitality… I am grateful, and delighted to be here. -PO.”
The former Governor of Anambra State also on Friday met with the General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman.
The cleric disclosed the meeting in a post on his Twitter account on Friday.
Apostle Suleman, who shared a picture of the meeting, wrote, “Thank you @PeterObi for coming to the house, may God continually protect you in Jesus’ name.”