Benin City, the Edo State capital, stood still on Saturday as leaders and chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held its grand finale rally ahead of next Saturday’s governorship election, with a clarion call to all Edo people to vote enmasse for the party to keep the wheel of progress and development in the state rolling.
Speaker after speaker expressed optimism that the party would win the coming election because, in the last four years, the PDP-led administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki has laid a solid foundation for the growth and development of the state.
Setting the tone for the day at the fully packed Garrick Memorial Centre, the state party chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi declared that “only Edo people will decide who will govern them and not outsiders. We will never be intimidated because the blood of our ancestors flows in us.” He declared the rally as the rebirth of PDP, saying “today PDP is reborn”.
The Chairman of the National Campaign Council, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, assured the PDP family in the state of total support. He said: “We have come here to show you support and solidarity to win this election. We bring to you the message of hope and encouragement and that is to tell you that you are on the right track.
“Edo is the cradle of intellectual capacity in the country and you can’t settle for less. Obaseki has performed well and you can’t bring someone less than Obaseki. You can’t vote for that man who said he will bring insecurity to the state. We are here to support you, we will be on ground come Saturday 21, to support you. Come out enmasse and vote for Asue as your next governor”.
Obaseki declared that the state cannot move backwards again but only forward. He proceeded to list what the state looked like in 2016 when he took over and what it is now. He said he has stamped out human trafficking and prostitution that used to be a blight on the state’s image.
The governor said that teachers can now read and write. He boasted about the civil service as the best in the country and that salaries paid regularly. He said pensioners get their payment as and at when due. He said he has chased away the miscreants called “lions and tigers”, saying the election on Saturday is an existential struggle.
Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said: “We did it four years ago, we will do it again. Just as it is now, the opposition threatened the party in the state with federal might, but the people of the state said ‘Edo nor bi Lagos'”.
He then challenged the people to vote and protect their votes.
PDP’s acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum said the party chieftains were in the state to rejoice with the people because “you have won”. He said that, from the way the people have accepted Ighodalo, it shows that they had decided not to vote for insecurity, hunger and bad governance.
Damagum said the All Progressives Congress has been rejected by the people across the country, and advised the security agencies to ensure that every Nigerian is protected. He assured that, if the security agencies refuse to be fair, they should be ready to arrest everybody because they would be here and they would ensure that the votes are counted and protected.
He charged the Independent National Electoral Commission to play fair. He said it is not a threat but a serious warning that the votes would be protected at all cost. The PDP leader challenged Nigerians to watch the state election “because it will be the test of our democracy. So, I urge all Nigerians, on September 21, all eyes should be on Edo. The party is solidly behind the candidate. Don’t allow any short devil from wherever planet to perfume his evil work in Edo State”.
His speech was followed by the handling of the party’s flag to Ighodalo. Damagum described it as “flag of victory”.
After receiving the flag, the party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo thanked the people for their immense support in the last 10 months and promised to take the state to the next level. He pledged to work hard for the people, be accessible and make them proud. He assured that “we go do am”, as he appealed to the people to come out on Saturday to vote.
The grand finale was graced by members of the National Working Committee, 11 governors, members of the National Assembly and other top chieftains of the party.
