Akwa Ibom Flag-off : Uyo stands still for Atiku/Okowa campaign train
By Tunde Opalana
Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State on Monday stood still as the campaign train of the Atiku / Okowa candidature stormed the city to flag- off the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign.
Leaders of the party across the six- geopolitical zones were welcomed into the stadium by mammoth crowd of party supporters that witnessed the commencement of the nationwide campaign ahead of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
Spokesperson of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organization, Kola Ologbondiyan, affirmed that the massive turn out of Nigerians in Uyo, to receive the Presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, is a clear indicator of victory for the PDP in the 2023 general elections.
The Uyo rally, he said, is following on the heels of similar massive turnout and acceptance of Atiku/Okowa in Kano, Ibadan, Enugu, Gombe and other parts of the country where Nigerians have rallied in support of the Atiku/Okowa ticket.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel lamented the woes that have confronted the nation under the APC administration and asserted that Atiku Abubakar is the only Presidential Candidate with required experience, energy and capacity to lead the nation at this point in time.
According to him, “our movement to Aso Rock begins today. Nigerians have suffered untold woes under the APC. Atiku Abubakar has the required experience and capacity to rescue and rebuild our nation. He knows and understands the nuances of the nation and he will carry every part of the nation along.
Emmanuel lamented the lack of capacity of the APC administration to manage the economy and urged Nigerians to salvage the nation by voting Atiku Abubakar.
“We must elect people who have the capacity to manage successful businesses. If you cannot manage a kiosk, you cannot manage the economy.
“As we flag off our campaign, we want to tell Nigerians that the plane to a successful nation is taking off today. Today, we are flagging off hope and the mission to rescue Nigeria.
“We call on Nigerians to support all our candidates from the Presidency to Houses of Assembly. The people of Akwa Ibom in one voice will join other Nigerians to move our country forward.
The Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Committee and governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon Aminu Tambuwal commended the party’s candidature which he said represent the nation’s plurality.
On the other hand, he took a swipe on the Bola Tinubu/ Kashim Shettima candidature of the All Progressives Congress as an anathema to the principle of federal character and provisions of the constitution of Nigeria.
Aside presenting the most competence of all of us that are running for the presidency of this country, he said the PDP ticket of Atiku/Okowa has “recognised the plurality and capacity of Nigeria and have respected our character as a nation”
He said and the party is presenting two great Nigerians that have “the capacity, the character, the competence to move the country forward.”
The Director General further said “our party is on a mission to rescue Nigeria and to restore its value and I believe the other party, their candidature is not only against the federal character but against the constitution of Nigeria because it doesn’t reflect the federal character of Nigeria.
“From day one they are planning to plant a seed of discord in this country and we must not allow that to happen. We have a balance ticket, we have a ticket that can rescue Nigeria through its current situation and I appealed to all of you men and women of goodwill to join on this train of Atiku Okowa to rescue, reset and restore Nigeria.”
National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu made subtle plea to Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and his ally governor’s as well as a few other stakeholders that have distanced themselves from the PDP presidential campaign to come on board the campaign train.
The PDP train has started moving and we have left the station, but we are moving slowly so that those who are yet on board will join us on the train.
” It is important for us as leaders, Nigeria is not interested in our personal quarrels, Nigeria is waiting for us to come and rescue them from what is worrying them.
“The PDP knows what is worrying Nigerians, Nigerians are hungry, Nigerians are suffering from all sorts of sickness, Nigerians can not move from one point to another without worries, Nigerians cannot sleep because of insecurity, Nigerians are getting more and more divided, Nigerians are complaining and are hoping that what we did for them in the last 16 years we will come back and do it for them again.
Promising Nigerians of a better deal under a PDP administration come 2023, Ayu said “let us all join hands together because we have the solution. Already we have pen down the covenant with Nigerians, we will restore the economy to its glory. Nigerians will be happy, all young people will get jobs, the economy will grow, there will be more industries, every PDP governor has performed well, therefore, when we get to power from State Houses of Assembly to the state governors, the National Assembly we need all of them to support our president who is coming to power next year to redeem Nigerians.”
Senator Adolphus Wabara, acting Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees said
the PDP is a party to beat, it’s Presidential candidate and the vice are the candidates to beat.
He urged Nigerians to believe in Atiku Abubakar to restore hope. “For the man to have put pen to paper and say this is my covenant with Nigeria is something that is worth emulating, no wonder PDP is the only party in today Nigeria that is ready to take over power,” he said.
He spoke about the readiness of the PDP to take over governance having assembled a campaign team after the lifting of ban on campaign by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the 28 of September.
Wabara said “PDP is the only one so far, no any other party has even put their campaign team together, but we are now flagging off.
“Today Nigerians have seen the youth, the women are here and God will continue to grant this party success. In the past we use to say no vacancy in Aso Villa but all have seen that there is indeed vacancy in Aso Villa.
“The applicant that will occupy the villa is our presidential candidate and the running mate. I want to wish us well and congratulate us in advance.”
Addressing the mammoth crowd, the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, also thanked Nigerians for the confidence reposed in him and the PDP.
He recalled that when PDP came to power in 1999, it met a nation in shambolic state but turned it around and lifted the nation “from bottom to top”, but lamented that all the gains achieved by the PDP have been eroded by the APC.
“When PDP came to power in 1999, we lifted Nigeria from bottom to the top. We made Nigeria the best in Africa. But today all that has been destroyed. Today, the PDP is on a rescue mission. We are ready; we will rescue Nigeria from hunger and insecurity. If you vote for PDP it will be a return to safety and good governance and unify this country”, Atiku Abubakar said amidst cheers from the crowd.
The Vice Presidential candidate, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa reminded Nigerians that
there is a great problem in the land and the people are looking for a rescuer and that the PDP is coming back to rescue.
He said “when you want to rescue a people, particularly in the military, because we are in a war, everything has gotten so bad. You do not go to war with a lieutenant leading, some other parties are presenting lieutenants but PDP is presenting a general.
“In the political field and governance of Nigeria, when you are talking about experience, then Atiku Abubakar is a general. We cannot allow lieutenants to lead because they will lead us to doom.
“We believe that PDP is the only party that is prepared to rescue this nation. After you have rescued the nation, you will also need experience to be able to restore and rebuild.”
