We’ll Sweep PDP Out Of Power —ACN

Action Congress Nigeria, ACN kicks off its campaign for the 2011 elections today with its chieftains promising that the party will sweep away the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, in the general elections slated for April. Brimming with uncommon optimism, chieftains of the party who gathered in Abuja on Wednesday also said the party will win not less than 20 states in addition to the presidency in the coming polls.

The occasion was the colloquium organised by the party which presently controls Lagos, Edo, Osun and Ekiti States to kick off its campaign for the coming general elections. Senator Boss Mustapha, National Deputy Chairman of ACN who stood in for Chief Bisi Akande, the Chairman of the     party said at the colloquium said the purpose of the colloquium is to give the party opportunity of articulating its policy options as enunciated in its manifesto.

The event was attended by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, its presidential flag bearer, the four governors elected on the tickets of the party, gubernatorial and other candidates that it is posed to sweep away the ruling party in the 2011 polls.

Also present at the occasion was former Lagos State Governor and chieftain of ACN, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Saminu Turaki, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Senators Ganiyu Solomon, Olorunimbe Mamora among others. Chief Ogbeh who is also the coordinator of Nuhu Ribadu presidential campaign had flagged off discussion with a brief overview of the ACN manifesto.

According to him, while the ACN administration national security and defence as one of the immediate problem confronting the country, the party will tackle the problem not only by training and retraining of officials of police and the armed forces, but by also providing employment that will take people, especially the youths away from crime.

He said the ACN administration will invest heavily in the area of housing and agriculture as a means of tackling unemployment.

Ogbeh said an ACN led government will construct one million homes a year through which it can create 30 million jobs.

He added that the problem of infrastructure will also be tackled by the ACN government.

To promote industrial development, Ogeh said at least five new development banks will be established by the ACN Administration each state government will be encouraged to set aside N1 billion yearly for promotion of small scale industries in their area.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the presidential candidate of the ACN said the expected change can only happen with transparent leadership.

Ribadu especially noted that many youths have become disenchanted because “half century of our nation’s history (has) loudly left them behind through failure of governance.” He enunciated his plan to tackle the problem of infrastructure, crime, education while promising to also ensure that corruption become a thing of the past if he is elected.

The ACN presidential candidate noted that the President Jonathan Goodluck administration had in the past one year blew up over $60 billion from the Nigerian foreign reserves without anything to show for it.

Ribadu also noted that there can be no meaningful turn around in Nigeria without tackling the problem of corruption.

The former anti graft czar promised to introduce a programme of one egg, a glass of fruit juice and milk for each child in school by 2014 if he is elected as Nigerian president. Governor Fashola of Lagos spoke on the challenges of governance and noted that the groundwork for his achievements in Lagos so far was laid by his predecessor in the office, Bola Tinubu.

In his own contribution, the former Lagos State Governor who expressed confidence in the ability of the presidential candidate of ACN said sweeping the PDP out of power in the coming election is possible especially given the dismal performance of the party in all areas of national life.

He said CAN is posed to make a difference in every sphere of the national life and that is why the party is taking the unprecedented step of putting its social contract before the people.

The former Governor who said the colloquium is the first time a party is putting its agenda before the people defended the choice of Ribadu as the party’s presidential candidate while noting that the former boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had also investigated him in the past.
Other topics discussed at the occasion includess Issues of Governance; Human Rights, and Youth Empowerment; Energy; Managing a Democratic Government; Regulatory functions of INEC and the Electoral Act 2010, as well as Water and Sanitation.

—Oluokun Ayorinde/Abuja