PDP campaign rallies- A penetration so deep

BY JOSEPH OKON

As the political activities in Akwa Ibom state moves to the climax with campaigns, the ruling People’s Democratic Party PDP seems to cut the biggest short in the state and made the deepest political penetrations in the state in the build-up to the 2015 governorship election.

It all started last week Friday at Uyo Township Stadium which was filled to the bream with supporters overflowing the stadium to Udo Umana and Obio Imo streets. It was the day PDP formally and officially commenced their movement for actualization of the 2015 election.

The stadium which witnessed what can best be describe as a mammoth crowd of supporters and unprecedented in the history of campaign rallies in the state was attended by senior citizens of the state including those in the opposition camps. The stadium was filled to capacity which send a dangerous signal to those claiming that they will take over government house from the ruling PDP on May 29 to have a re-think.

The crowd was so much that even the oppositions admit that it was the mother of all campaign rallies ever assembled in Akwa Ibom state, speakers who addressed the rally spoke on the strength of the PDP to retain the governorship seat in Akwa Ibom state.

The Director General of Udom/ Moses campaign organization, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga who is the former Military governor of the state said with the crowd of people at the stadium, Udom Emmanuel can go home and sleep because it shows that it is the will of the people that he should be their governor.

The rally afforded stakeholders and opinion leaders the opportunity to take stock and reflect on issues bordering on development of Akwa Ibom and Nigeria by extension which they also drum support for President Jonathan’s re-election. But in all these, one thing stood them out in the crowd of other parties and seekers of the governorship seat as they engaged people in an issue based campaign devoid of propaganda, blackmail, and name calling. Unlike the APC that is currently being engaged in politics of slanders, propaganda and blackmail.

From all indications, performance was the watch word as enunciated by Otuekong Nkanga who said that anybody that want to speak to Akwa Ibom people should have the past performing governor like himself and the present performing governor in the person of Governor Godswill Akpabio. He maintained that while the opposition are telling the people what they will do, the PDP is producing results and presenting what they have done.

According to Nkanga, the 2015 governorship contest is a battle between light and darkness which Akwa Ibom cannot go back to the unfortunate dark days again. Youths were again encouraged to rise up and take their destiny which depends on making Mr Udom Emmanuel the next executive governor of Akwa Ibom state. He described Udom Emmanuel as an outcome of research which proved that he is the best, a man that has the capacity, competence, and experience in financial management who will manage the economy of the state well like it is in other developed nations.

Since the support for Udom may not be full without a voters card, he encouraged the people to get their voters card ready for the election to vote for PDP at all levels.

Senator Effiong Dickson Bob who went memory lane, revealed that the PDP government has been sustaining the transformation it started in 1999, and for those who use PDP money to expand their tentacles wants to take over power by force will end the way Lucifer ended.

Senator Bob who was the chairman of the PDP reconciliation committee announced that his committee has reconciled all the aggrieved members and aspirants of the party, and anybody who is still aggrieved is not a member of the party, therefore person has the right to go and join any other party his or her choice.

Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, Akon Eyakeyi and Senator Anietie Okon identifies PDP as the only party that can deliver Nigeria, and Akwa Ibom state which has always been PDP since 1999 will always remain a PDP state and will continue to defeat the oppositions. They described Udom Emmanuel as a continuation of light and transformation that has been established in the state.

For the former Deputy Governor, Engr Chris Ekpenyong, PDP remains a family which all members of the party in spite of political differences belong to that family. His verdict on Akpabio’s leadership was that Godswill Akpabio has transformed Akwa Ibom more than he could have done if he succeeded in 2007. On the December 8th PDP governorship primary, he said since Udom Emmanuel has won the primary, other aspirants should return to the family and join hands with him to build Akwa Ibom.

The former deputy governor formally endorsed the candidacy of Mr Udom Emmanuel as the PDP governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom state and Godswill Akpbio for senate in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.

In the case of Obong Bassey Inuaeyen who attended the rally at Uyo Township Stadium, it was an opportunity for him to declare his support to the gubernatorial ambition of Mr Udom Emmanuel, and also to urge others to support him. He said that he knew the PDP candidate over the year as a man of peace, a true religious person which is the best for Akwa Ibom state. And as a PDP man, Udom is the best who will continue the uncommon transformation of the present PDP government.

On the aggrieved PDP members or aspirants, he advised them to come back and support Udom Emmanuel who is more competence and capable enough to reposition the economy of the state and reduce over dependence on oil, and that their own day will come which they will need other’s support. According to him, Udom is the right man for the job at this time.

The party chairman in the state, Obong Paul Ekpo was so confident that there is no alternative to PDP in Nigeria and Akwa Ibom, and PDP will continue to win in the state. But for the state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, no matter how a governor has performed, the enemy will never see anything good about that government.

Mr Moses Ekpo, the PDP running mate to Mr Udom Emmanuel said he represents equity for Abak 5, and those who were fighting that Abak 5 is marginalized should not fight again because having a deputy governor is better than having a senator.

For the PDP governorship candidate, Mr Udom Emmanuel, he and his team is up for consolidation and human capital development which the party flag that was given to him by President Jonathan symbolized hope for a better future. One thing is very significant in Udom Emmanuel campaign, he seems to know the entire problem and have all the solutions and how to develop the state. He has all the ideas and blueprint, he does not just move around to make promises but also tell the people how he will address the problem of job creation. He said immediately he assumed office, the Ibom International stadium will be converted to sport institute to train the next champions and sport super stars all over the world. The Ibom International Airport will host the aviation academy that will train Akwa Ibomites as pilots.

His aggressive poverty alleviation was not just a political campaign, he identify the Central Bank of Nigeria where his colleague presides as a major source to get that done in terms of financing small and medium scale enterprises, and that there is no way he will run to his colleague that he will not get funds. To him, his vision is to create wealth and makes live comfortable for the people like those in developed countries, and that where ever the present administration could not develop, the incoming government will do it. He sees Uyo the state capital becoming New York City in 4 years of his administration.

With the full completion of Ibom International Airport and construction of Ibaka Deep Sea Port, there will be an international market in Akwa Ibom state so that when goods come in through those international getaways, it will boost the efficiency of the market which will automatically close that of Abia, Imo and other states.

After the Uyo Township Stadium rally last Friday, Saturday campaign was what can be describe as a test for popularity as the first port of called was the supposed APC strong hold, Nsit Ubium local government area where the governorship candidate of the APC, Mr Umana Okon Umana comes from, but the PDP again made the deepest political penetration with what can be describe as unprecedented mammoth crowd ever assemble in the area. It was a record breaking campaign outing which was attended by major stakeholders in the area including Sam Edem.

Welcoming the incumbent governor, the incoming governor and their entourage to Nsit Ubium, the chapter chairman of the PDP in the area, Mr Inyang Anyang said that Nsit Ubium is always for PDP, and that starting from the ward to chapter level, the party is intact and ready to deliver PDP next month. The chairman of the local government, Mr Ekpedeme Amos Akpan affirmed that all the units, villages, wards, and chapter in Nsit Ubium have come together including Elders, youths, and women to deliver PDP at all levels. 

Stakeholders like Pastor Umo Eno and Chief Emmanuel Ibiok assured the campaign team that all those that make things happen politically in Nsit Ubium are intact for PDP, anybody that is not present is not relevant, and Nsit Ubium will stand with the governor and Udom Emmanuel to deliver PDP. They described Udom Emmanuel as a man who has been prepared with experience to build a sustainable development through development of small and medium enterprises.

The political leader of the area, distinguished senator Effiong Bob, said since 1999 Nsit Ubium local government has always been a PDP centre and no man can destroy the destiny of Akwa Ibom people. According to him, Udom Emmanuel is a man of integrity, experience, knowledge, and the right candidate for the job which made every other contestants unfit for the job. He said that the only governorship candidate that Nsit Ubium knows of is Mr Udom Emmanuel.

For the PDP candidate for Nsit Ubium state constituency, Barr Onofiok Luke it was a thanksgiving and presentation of stewardship report to his political father and mentor, Chief Godswill Akpabio who later described him as his true son that has made him proud. Barr Luke reaffirmed the commitment of Nsit Ubium people to again deliver PDP massively like they have been doing.
Though there were some speculations and misinformation’s that Nsit Ubium is the strong hold of the APC governorship candidate and PDP will not be able to penetrate the area, the Saturday rally proved such insinuations wrong as people turn out as if it was a Presidential rally.

The PDP governorship candidate, Mr Udom Emmanuel’s comment at Nsit Ubium rekindles the people’s hope in him that a good friend is better than a bad brother. As a man so sensitive to the needs and plights of the people, he was able to recognize the available resources in the area for development which he quickly point out that Nsit Ubium has a lot of land, and can be a major producer of starch which is highly sort after globally. According to him, industries that use starch for production of finished goods like most of the food we eat and other things will automatically move to Nsit Ubium because of the raw materials are there. And that will create more employment opportunities and jobs. Within two years, Udom Emmanuel intends to slash food prices in Akwa Ibom by 60 per cent.

At Eket local government area, the stadium was filled to capacity with and over flow of crowd on major streets, in fact there was no space to accommodate people inside the stadium. It was another show of high political strength which further proved that PDP is still in charge in spits the propaganda by the opposition. To the PDP governorship candidate, Mr Udom Emmanuel it was a home coming of a worthy son of Eket.

Stakeholders from the area like Kennedy Akwa-Owo, General Daniel Etukudo, and Chief Ndueso Essien affirmed the collective decision of Eket people to support their own, Mr Udom Emmanuel as the next governor of Akwa Ibom state. They said that Eket people who are the host of Akwa Ibom resources cannot afford to miss this opportunity of producing a governor next month.

The elated Mr Udom Emmanuel who was overwhelmed with the crowd he saw in Eket told the mammoth crowd that within a short period of time, Eket will be completely transformed to be like Uyo and Ikot Ekpene through his modern urbanization programme that will create jobs for the people. Having identify the potentials for development in the area, he assured the people that Quor Steel industry will be revitalize to function efficiently, and metal scraps will no more be exported out or taken to Abia state because the metal company will be put to functional use. The famous entertainment resort in Eket, the Quor River where people used travel from far and near to spend their holiday’s will be revived again with the construction of 4 point Sheraton Hotel to promote tourism and development. According to him, Eket has a lot of industrial potentials that will attract a lot of industries in addition to the gas processing project and the petrochemical and methanol plant currently under construction. The people of Eket patiently waited in spite the late arrival of the campaign team in the area to hear from their next governor. It was successful campaigns outing with assurance of victory come next month.