The Peoples Democratic Party’s Governors Forum on Tuesday said “it is certain that the hope of the common people in Nigeria is secured under the umbrella of the party”, wooing Nigerians to vote for the party in the general elections.
In a speech at the meeting of the governors in Lagos State, Nigerian’s commercial city in the south-west region on Tuesday, the chairman of the Forum, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, expressed optimism that the key to continued greatness in Nigeria was with the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan.
He listed sectors that the PDP had made remarkable accomplishments in to include agriculture and aviation among others.
The Governors’ Forum meeting was held to interact with Nigerians and has the theme: “Sustenance Of Democratic Values And National Development”.
Transformation Not Change
The Govenrnors said forucs was to show the party’s commitment to moving the nation forward and not backward, focused on
“The reason the theme is very apt is because eternal vigilance is the price for liberty. Therefore, we must fight to keep what our fellow brothers depict to us with their blood,” Governor Akpabio said.
“The PDP is the only mass movement in Nigeria and has assigned itself the role of not only protecting democracy but also fighting to sustain democratic values and ensuring development of our nation.
“It is the only party that is not owned by any individual. It is the only party that is not built around a cult assignment. Therefore the PDP abhors corruption in all ramification.
“The PDP has done a lot in the fighting of corruption since the inception of democracy to date.
“There are untouchable people in the All progressives Congress while the PDP is the party of the people, for the people and by the people of Nigeria.
“We have come to tell Nigerians to vote wisely, vote for today, vote for tomorrow and vote for the truth. Vote to sustain our democratic values. Vote to ensure our national development continues and to ensure our national dream is not aborted,” he said.
Governor Akpabio said that the Economic Financial Crimes Commission was an initiative of the PDP aimed at fighting corruption in Nigeria.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) is talking change. Talk is cheap but what we need in Nigeria is transformation not change.
The APC have not shown whether they want change for the good or for worse. Any change that is not planned will lead to destruction,” Governor Akpabio said, alleging that the APC wants to change Nigeria from being a party to an individual’s private estate.
On the insurgency in the nation’s north-east, the chairman of the Governors Forum said that states that the PDP had not had the opportunity of governing were those witnessing insurgency.
“Borno State is suffering from both poverty and insurgency and the APC governing the state must have contributed immensely to the insurgency that the president is battling with.
“If the APC governors have built schools and provided education like the president is doing now then the security challenges could have arisen.
“It is abundantly clear that the opposition is soft in the fight against the Boko Haram even though they have paradoxically made elimination of the Boko Haram terrorists in their campaign.”
Use Of Card Readers
Last week, the PDP kicked against the use of card readers in Nigeria’s general elections, saying the technology could disenfranchise some Nigerians.
On the issue of the card reader technology, Governor Akpabio further said that the Independent National Electoral Commission was ill-prepared for the election.
“For example, at the time the election was postponed due to security reasons over 23 million registered voters were yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.
“According to the chairman of the commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, the postponement was a blessing in disguise.
“We don’t want any Nigerian to be disenfranchised due to ineffectiveness of card reader whether due to failure to charge the device or any vice that could lead to disenfranchising people,” he said.
On behalf of the Governors the Akwa Ibom State Governor stressed that further shift in the election date was not welcomed.
Governors of Plateau, Adamawa, Ondo, Ekiti also spoke at the meeting, seeking support for the ruling party.
During an interactive session with journalists on Monday night ahead of a scheduled meeting slated to hold on Tuesday, Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, said the postponement of the election has helped to reduce the tension in the country, especially following the victory recorded by the military in the northeast.
Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Akpabio, had explained that the forum’s meeting was not convened due to panic or pressure from any quarters.
Governors in attendance include Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Jonah Jang of Plateau, Liyel Imoke of Cross River, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state.
Others are, Governors Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Ibrahim Dankwabo of Gombe, Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna and Bala Ngilari of Adamawa State.