October 12, (THEWILL) – The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, a.k.a Nest of Champions, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was full to the brim Tuesday, as the presidential campaign of the People’s Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, kicked off.
THEWILL reports that the total sitting capital of the Olympic size Stadium is 30,000, but for Tuesday’s event, there was no empty space in the cover stands, VIP, not the VVIP areas even as the field and tract isles were occupied.
Our checks also revealed that there was heavy mobilisation by the central working committee such that hardly a member of the party was left even from the most interior areas of the state.
This was evident in the number of buses that conveyed PDP faithful from the grassroots especially women and youths to the stadium. It has also gone a long way to prove the claims by the party leaders that PDP is a religion that people believe so much in Akwa Ibom State.
Various groups with colourful uniforms with different inscriptions decorated the large Stadium, excitement filled the air with different dance steps and drumming. Supporters of different PDP candidates contesting for other political offices matched with play cards showcasing their candidates.
Most conspicuous among the groups were the female youths with their purple and lemmon-coloured uniforms which really added colour to the event. Also, Women for Grassroots Support Initiative (WGSI) with their red T-shirts, mini umbrellas and large banners that stood them out among other groups.
The two groups THEWILL gathered are closely monitored and sponsored by the wife of the state Governor, Dr Martha Emmanuel and has Rt Hon. Alice Ekpenyong, a former two term state House of Assembly member as the zonal coordinator, while Rt. Hon. Ekaete Ebong Okon, Chairman State Secondary Education Board as the state coordinator.
Speaking to our correspondent in Uyo, the zonal coordinator of WGSI Well done our able State Coordinator, Mrs Ekpenyong, expressed optimism that together the women would achieve so much to support, rescue and build a better PDP, Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large.
“I want to salute the Effort of Her Excellency Dr Mrs Matha Udom Emmanuel to have come with this laudable group and for making sure that Akwa Ibom State women are in the front line of it all.
“As the Captain of this team in Akwa Abasi Ibom State. I am aware of the effort Dr. Ekaete Ebong Okon has made to put together this group in the State. May the Good Lord increase her wisdom and passion for a greater Nigeria”. She noted.
She expressed appreciation to all the members for coming out to grace to occasion, urging for spirit of togetherness to ‘fly the flag high’ to bring victory to the party in 2023.
Also speaking, the state coordinator of WGSI stated that the desire of the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Okowa and the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) is not about rallies but how to work and deliver all the polling units in the state for the party.
She said her team members in the state are capable and ready to work to ensure victory for PDP in 2023 Genenal elections.
THEWILL reports that most VVIP visitors to the state, including state governors, ex-governors, and top chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party in the camp of the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, arrived Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, in private and chartered air busses.
Being that most of them arrived on Sunday evening for the Monday event, no fewer than 15 private and chartered jets were packed at the Victor Attach International Airport as of Monday morning and the owners had come for the formal inauguration of the party’s campaign ahead of the 2023 polls.
Findings indicate that aside from the Governors of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and his counterparts in Oyo State Seyi Makinde, Benue State Samuel Ortom, Abia State Ikpeazu Okezie, and Enugu State Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, other governors elected on the platform of the party were present at the event.
PDP National Assembly members, and National Working Committee members led by the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, among other party stalwarts, members of the PDP Board of Trustees, led by a former Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara, were also present at the venue.
The PDP governors present at the rally include Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintri; Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku; and the host governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel.
Others are the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri; his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed; Delta State Governor and Atiku’s running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa; and Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
Some of the private and chartered jets which landed at the airport were Hawker Siddeley 125 with registration number 5N-BZP belonging to Jubilee Aviation, Bombardier Challenger 604 with registration number 5N-BYN belonging to Jed Air, HS 125 with registration 5N-BZT belonging to Jet Support Services, and Embraer Phenom 300 (E55P) with registration number 5N-AAK belonging to Matrix Energy and operated by Jet Support Services.
Others are HS125 private aircraft with registration number 5N-BNM belonging to Dogon Daji; Lear Jet 45 jet with registration number 5N-BLW belonging to Max Air; Embraer E135 jet with registration number 5N-BTX belonging to Anap Jets and Embraer E145 plane with registration number 5N-BZN belonging to Exejet, and an Embraer E135 jet with registration number 5N-FZE belonging to Execujet.
The list also includes an Embraer E145 aircraft with registration number 5N-BWW chartered from United Nigeria Airlines.
Seeking a truce with seeming aggrieved members at the campaign ground, the PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, said the party has moved on, calling on those who are yet to join the party’s presidential campaign to join the train because they are moving slowly waiting for them.
Ayu stated that Nigerians were not interested in personal rifts in the PDP, but in the rescue mission of the party.
He further noted that the party’s presidential candidate has penned down his plans for Nigerians in his policy document, ‘My Covenant with Nigerians.’
“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 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 sicknesses”. He maintained.
The PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, lamented that since the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress took over the leadership in 2015, Nigerians have witnessed unprecedented hunger, insecurity and poor economy while Nigerian students have continued to stay out of school.
According to him, the PDP on the other hand lifted Nigerians out of poverty when it assumed power in 1999, noting that Nigeria became the biggest economy in Africa.
He also explained that there was peace and progress until the APC took over power in 2015.
Atiku stated that the flag-off of the presidential campaign was to rescue Nigeria from hunger, and poverty and bring back the unity which the country lacks.
He appealed to Nigerians to vote for the PDP for prosperity, unity, and safety of the country.
‘’Today, as we inaugurate the flag-off of the campaign to rescue Nigeria, to rescue Nigeria from hunger, to rescue Nigeria from poverty and bring back the unity we are lacking in this country; I want to appeal to all Nigerians to vote for PDP.
“If you vote for PDP, it will be a vote for prosperity, it will be a vote for unity, it will be a vote for your safety. So, there will be no more hunger and there will be security. I swear, if you vote for PDP, you will not be out of school, you will get jobs, there will be security, there will be unity.” Atiku stressed.
In his remarks, the vice-presidential candidate of the PDP, Okowa told the gathering that the PDP is the only party that is prepared to rescue the nation through a candidate that has the experience to restore and rebuild
He added, “When you want to rescue 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.
The acting Chairman of the PDP BoT, Adulfous Wabara stressed that there is a vacancy in the Presidential Villa that Atiku and his running mate are suitably qualified to fill.
“In the past, we used to say no vacancy in Aso Villa but all have seen that there is indeed vacancy in Aso Villa. The applicants that will occupy the villa are our presidential candidate and the running mate,’’ he noted.
Describing the PDP as the party to beat, the BoT chairman said, “The party to beat, our presidential candidate and the vice are the candidates to beat. We have a unifier here.
“For the man to have put pen to paper and say this is my covenant with Nigeria is worth emulating. No wonder PDP is the only party in today’s Nigeria that is ready to take over power.’’
The Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel while welcoming dignitaries said the campaign would restore hope and faith in the common dreams of the people.
He described the PDP as the pillar of the South-South region.
Emmanuel alleged that the APC-led regime has caused the country so much hardship, as poverty has reached misery indices.
“Poverty today has gotten to misery indices. When PDP handed over power, the exchange rate was N186 to a dollar. Today, the exchange rate is almost N800 to a dollar. When PDP handed over power, Nigeria had the largest economy in entire Africa. Today, all those indices have been battered.
“Today, we want to flag off the hope for Nigeria, we want to flag off the rescue mission to Nigeria, we want to flag off the restoration mood to Nigeria. We want to tell Nigerians, the ship is beginning to sail today, we want to tell Nigerians, the train is moving today,’’ he added.
On his part, the Director-General, the PDP Presidential Campaign Management Committee and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal said the duo of Atiku and Okowa would rescue Nigeria from its problems.
“Today is a very historic day in the history of Nigeria and our democracy as we present to Nigeria the most competent of those running for the President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar,’’ the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum noted.
Speaking on behalf of the PDP governors, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State described Atiku and Okowa as ‘’two outstanding Nigerians that would reset the country for the good of the youths,’’ adding that when “the team of PDP comes to power, the narratives would change and that Nigerians would once again begin to move freely in Nigeria without harassment and molestation.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki expressed confidence that the PDP would emerge victorious in the general elections, noting that the party will deploy technology to ensure victory at the polls.
The governor, who convened the PDP South-South Zonal meeting, held at the Ibom Hall in Uyo, ahead of the campaign, explained that the waters had been tested in Edo and Osun States, where the party leveraged technology to ensure victory in the governorship elections.
Obaseki said the meeting was held to discuss issues affecting the party ahead of the launch of the PDP presidential campaign for the February 23, 2023 election in the South-South region, noting that this would be a very different election witnessed in the past.
He noted, “Our election in Edo redefined the face of election in this Republic. This will be a technical election as we used technology to win our election in Edo State.
“We repeated the same in Osun State and now can tell how elections are being run with the new Electoral Act. In this zone, we have the skills and knowledge in supporting one another in running and winning elections. The election is not won on election day but a battle for election at the polling unit level.”
On his part, Okowa commended stakeholders from the different zones in the South-South, noting that the meeting would create an opportunity to rub minds and know members of the party more.
Okowa said, “As a party, we are most prepared for this election. As a zone, we are strong and will continue to give strength to the party as we deliver greater votes to the party and come out victorious.
“For this election, with the electoral laws, a lot of work is needed as we will be using the Bimodal Verification Accreditation System recognised in the Electoral Act. It calls for greater work and mobilization in the February and March election in 2023. The South-south is a strong pillar in the PDP as we hope to deliver votes for the PDP.”
