President Goodluck Jonathan assured of a free, fair election on Saturday.
The National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday declared that he had personally informed Peter Obi, the Anambra State Governor, to hand over power to Tony Nwoye, the party’s gubernatorial aspirant.
Mr. Tukur disclosed this at the closing rally of the party’s campaign held at the Holy Trinity Centenary Ground in Onitsha.
“I told Gov. Obi to hand over to this young man,” Mr. Tukur said, pointing to Mr. Nwoye.
The PDP chairman also said that the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan at the rally signifies the seriousness of the party to reclaim the state.
‘If you wish for something you send an emissary, but if you really want it, you come yourself. That’s why your Excellency came himself,” Mr. Tukur added.
President Jonathan, who admitted that he had to cancel his trip to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting “at the eleventh hour”, called on the Anambra people to make a decision that will “push the state forward” on the election day, Saturday.
The president apologized for the absence of Namadi Sambo, the Vice President, whom he said could not attend the rally because two of them cannot be in the same place at the same time “in case anything happens.”
“From what Arthur Eze said, we (him and the gubernatorial candidate) have similar background: attended primary school without wearing slippers,” Mr. Jonathan said.
“His own may even be better than my own,” he added.
The rally was billed to begin by 10 a.m.; but the ground didn’t fill up until noon when the president arrived.
And when he arrived, President Jonathan, decked in a native attire and a red cap, did a lap of honour with the PDP gubernatorial candidates, jogging lightly through the four corners of the expansive ground before taking up his seat.
“50 per cent of the private jets in Nigeria are owned by Anambra people,” the president stated during his keynote address.
“There are rumours that they are bringing people from outside to come and rig the election. Don’t listen to that kind of rumours.
We believe in one man one vote, one woman one vote, one youth one vote,” Mr. Jonathan said.
‘Mudslinging’
In the run up to the November 16 poll, campaigns by political parties are filled with candidates and party officials slinging malicious comments at one another.
Wednesday’s rally was no different. It began with the announcer chanting that the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, is filled with “419 people and trained thieves.”
Margaret Okadigbo, wife of the late Chuba Okadigbo, a former Senate President, was more forceful during her address when she urged the youths to “do anything” to ensure the party’s victory.
“Today we have for the first time in history, a candidate from Anambra North. I’m sure that the people of Anambra North will do anything to put their son, Comrade Tony Nwoye, into the Government House come 2014,” Mrs. Okadigbo, a Senator representing Anambra North, said.
Godswill Akpabio, the Akwa Ibom State governor, said that the APC cannot cure people.
“If it is not Panadol it can never be like Panadol. This is a party that is deporting your sons and daughters and demolishing their shops,” Mr. Akpabio said.
Arthur Eze, billionaire business man and PDP financier, said that he was ready to sacrifice his life to ensure the party’s victory in the election.
“For many years the orphans and widows in this state were neglected, until God brought Jonathan from a village in Otuoke. The same thing happened to Tony Nwoye, from a village called Nsugbe. They have no money,” Mr. Eze said.
Mr. Eze also stated that he took the governorship candidate to meet both President Jonathan and Mr. Tukur and the duo gave them the go-ahead to contest in the election.
“That short man called Ngige, we gave him power and he went and joined Awolowo’s people; the people that killed the Igbos.
“Peter Obi, we gave him power, he did not conduct election for eight years. He was busy building mansions and marble houses everywhere,” Mr. Eze said.
“Anambra people, let us change your lives while we are still alive.
I’m 65 years and I’ll die very soon,” he added.
The rally also witnessed about 20 people, who claimed to be members of Labour Party, LP, in the state, coming out to announce that they have defected to the PDP.
“We are here to declare membership of PDP in Nigeria,” said Raphael Chukwuduluem, who said he was LP’s Deputy State Chairman.
“We are here to promise you that Tony Nwoye will be the governor in Jesus name,” he added.
In his address, Mr. Nwoye promised to tackle youth empowerment if elected as governor.
“The youth of Anambra State are the most unemployed in the history of the state. In the past eight years, no youth has been employed in this state,” Mr. Nwoye said.
The governorship aspirant also promised to tackle insecurity, but admitted that eradicating kidnapping would be an arduous task.
“Mr. President, kidnapping in Anambra is a lucrative business. In six months, we are not going to stamp out kidnapping entirely, but it will be reduced to the barest minimum,” Mr. Nwoye said.
“In the entire state, there is no functional teaching hospital. We are going to build three teaching hospitals, the type in Akwa Ibom state, with standard facilities,” he added.
After President Jonathan finished his speech and boarded his black Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle, the two hour rally came to an end.
And the youth rushed onto the podium, untying and fighting over the umbrellas used to decorate the podium.
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