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| Peoples Democratic Party,National Organising Secretary, Amb. Abubakar Mustapha (m) presenting expression of interest and nomination forms to President Goodluck Jonathan at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, yesterday. On the left is PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu. |
The Governor said the President’s Sure-P programme is simply a Sure fraud where huge sums of
money is handed to an individual to disturse at will without record, saying the war against corruption by the current government at the federal level can be likened to a gun that fires shots without casualties.
Also, a leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu restated his call for President Goodluck Jonathan to resign, saying on the President’s watch, soldiers are fleeing without firing a shot and abandoning complete barracks with armoury for the enemy to loot.
Speaking Wednesday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium during the celebration of the anniversary to mark his year as Governor, Oshiomhole said: “I want to ask, if you listened to President Jonathan when he was here in September to launch what they called the South-South rally of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“He was reported as saying that Edo State, our own great State, the Heartbeat of the Nigerian Nation will fall to PDP. Let me ask you, can Edo State fall? Can the President fall any of you? He even went on to say that Rivers State will fall to PDP. I need you to mark the word ‘fall’ and when you go back home, take your dictionary and look at the ordinary and special meaning of the word ‘fall’”.
Oshiomhole stressed, “To fall is to collapse, to fall is to speak in the language of Soldiers. When they have used the force of firearms to overcome their enemies and they capture them with the aid of guns after killing many, they can say that the territory has fallen
“So is the President going to use the Armed Forces to fall the people of Edo State? I want to put him on notice that Edo State is not an enemy territory to be felled by Armed Forces and the Commander-in-Chief must not target Edo for falling. Edo will stand and march on.
“On the contrary, APC will defeat the President in Bayelsa State, APC will defeat PDP in Rivers State, and APC will defeat PDP in Cross River State. APC will defeat PDP in Delta State, APC will continue to bury and bury PDP in Edo State.
Oshiomhole said, “What is the Scorecard of the PDP in Edo State and in Nigeria? The PDP has commissioned the resurfacing of Ofosu to Benin Road in a period of 16 years. That is all PDP has to show in Edo State for over a period of 16 years. The PDP Federal Government controls 52.8 % of declared federal collections and Edo State share of that 52.8 % and all they have to show in 16 years is the resurfacing of Ofosu-Benin old carriage way.
The Governor said, “My challenge to my opponents in whatever name they are called, people who spent 10 years in Edo deceiving people, we have shown that they wasted our 10 years but we were not deterred by their failure but rather inspired by the opportunity that we have to reposition Edo State.
“I have made the point that we can reposition Benin City, deal with the crisis of flooding, not on the basis of random approach but by taking a holistic view on the flooding problem and apply searchable solutions that are informed by scientific mandate”.
“We challenge our main opponent, leaders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP at all levels to come out and refute all that I said we have done that we didn’t do”, he said.
According to him, “never again shall we be buffeted by people who remember us once in 4years when they bring a version of the stolen money to buy guns and distribute to young men to kill people. We have moved away from the politics of sharing salt, banana and sugar cane at the eve of election. Today, the Edo woman understands that providing school for her child is better than giving her a bag of salt once in four years”.
The Governor said that “as long as the PDP has power, the Nigerian people will never have power”, saying “even as we speak, this stadium is being powered by generator.” He said in the name privatization of electricity distribution companies, the Federal Government handed over power to people know next to nothing about electricity and power generation.
On his part, the former Governor of Lagos State and leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu the APC will sweep Jonathan out of office if he refuses to go. He said: “you refuse to go, we will sweep you away.” He said the APC will prove to the PDP that the power of the people is greater than the barrel of the gun.
He accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being an arm of the PDP, saying “INEC and PDP are Siamese twins, but APC will separate them.”
In his own speech, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Aminu Tambuwal urged Nigerians to shun politics of ethnic and religious sentiments in the 2015 General elections and vote for candidates capable of bringing desired changes to the country.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by former Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari. former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun among others.
The occasion was graced by Former Head of State, Mohammed Buhari, Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Ali Wamakko of Sokoto State, the Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Elder Peter Kisira, former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylvia, former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Niyi Adebayo, Federal House of Representative Members, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe, Edo State House of Assembly Members Market Women, Students, Civil Society Groups amongst others.
