PDP inagurates Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa campaign councils
…Diri, Malaye, Anyanwu confident of winning November 11 governorship polls
By Tunde Opalana
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday inaugurated campaign councils for the November 11 governorship election in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.
The PDP is presenting Senator Dino Melaye, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Douye Diri as governorship candidates in the coming elections.
Inaugurating the council for the three states at the party secretariat, National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum charged members to work assiduously towards victory for the party’s candidates in the three states.
He urged members to campaign on the strength of the PDP and achievements of the party at federal and state level and to point out ineffectiveness and misgovernance of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Damagum said efforts must be made to reclaim stolen.mandates of the PDP in Kogi and Imo states but to consolidate on the dominance of the party in Bayelsa state.
The chairman said “You’ve been carefully selected to go into these states and saddled with the campaigns. We don’t expect less from you because before you were selected, you were found very capable and we expect nothing other than victory.
“You are going in at a time whereby the country as it is, everybody is feeling the burden of the mistakes that have happened in this country. What is expected of you is go there and remind them that this is not what we bargained for, and that there is a time God in his infinite mercy, always give us to change the course of history, and this is the time.
“We will have Bayelsa, we will have Imo and we will have Kogi. These are PDP states. Somehow, they slipped away but Bayelsa has always had a PDP governor. I want to challenge everyone in this country to look at the states governed by PDP governors viz-a-viz the other parties. We have always excelled.
“To you that are going to Kogi and Imo states, remind them that it has not been like that before they made a mistakes to where they are today. There are time and opportunity to change and there’s no better time than now.
“You have been selected carefully because of what you can do, regardless of where you come from. We have confidence in you that you will go there and conquer. We expect them other than victory.”
Speaking after the inauguration, Governor Duoye Diri dismissed insinuation of any internal crisis in Bayelsa PDP. He said this is governorship election in Bayelsa State and so, we are well organized. We have more members of the opposition coming in to PDP in Bayelsa State.
“There are no issues in Bayelsa State. Bayelsa PDP is very strong, vibrant and poised the win the election. If I should give you on a scale, it would be like 80-20. Bayelsans have resolved unanimously that PDP as exemplified by me, you don’t need to change players in a winning team. Bayelsans are very resolute about that and I just want to say thank you. We will do it again.”
Imo State candidate, Sam Anyanwu said Imo is traditionally PDP State. “What you have there now is a product of the court. I am back to reclaim the mandate of the PDP,” he added.
Also, the Kogi State candidate, Dino Melaye said “I just want to announce that as far as this election is concern in Kogi State, APC is history. APC has gone to oblivion.
“PDP is the party to beat in Kogi State and I assure the people of Kogi State, that my name is Daniel and Daniel is used to taming lions. I befriend lions, I kiss lions and subdue lions.”
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Meanwhile one of the campaign committee members and governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke said “the chances of the PDP in the three states are very great because we are bringing light all the way and you know when light comes, darkness vanish.”
