ACN Set For Grand Rally In Lagos

Come Saturday, March 5, 2011, all roads will lead to Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS, Lagos South West Nigeria, venue of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, State rally tagged ‘Mother of All Rallies.’

The rally which is expected to be flagged off by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. This follows the party’s senatorial rallies held across the state last Tuesday.

Speaking on the rally, the state chairman of ACN, Otunba Henry Ajomale said: “It is with great confidence and renewed determination to lift Lagos to even greater heights that we commence state wide campaigns for the next elections. Our governorship flag bearer, His Excellency, Mr Fashola is widely acknowledged by friends and foes as the best performing  governor in Nigeria today. He has been commended both within and outside Nigeria as a model of transformational leadership.

“Despite the depth of talent available in our party, it is not suprising that this dynamic, industrious, knowledgeable and versatile legal practitioner was unanimously returned unopposed as our governorship flag bearer. His runnig mate, Mrs Joke Orelope-Adefulire, the current Commissiner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, is an accomplished social worker.’’

Ajomale added that as a result of the immense success and popularity of ACN in the state, thousands of highly capable and committed men and women sought to represent the party  both at the  state and national level. But The spaces available, however, are constitutionally limited and not everybody can serve at once.

“We are therefore presenting to the electorate a team of House of Assembly, House of Representatives and senatorial candidates that will complement the efforts of Governor Fashola’s  administration and help consolidate the tremendous gains we have recorded in Lagos State.

“We believe that for the PDP at the centre and the ACN in Lagos, the next election must be a referendum on our respective parties’ performances in the last 12 years. In other words, where were  we as a country 12 years ago and where has the PDP’s leadership of Nigeria taken us today?

“In a similar vein, where was Lagos State 12 years ago and where has the ACN leadership taken the state today? It is the clearly demonstrable answer to these questions that should determine what choices are made by the electorate at the forthcoming polls,’’he said.

Speaking in the same vein, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, GOS, representing Lagos West senatorial district, urged members of the party and Lagosians in general to emulate what happened last Tuesday during the party’s senatorial rallies held across the state by trooping to TBS for the mother of all rallies.

He said that the change required to transform Nigeria from the present political, social and economic decay to a prosperous nation could only be provided by the AC N.

According to him, “this is the beginning of the struggle for a better Lagos and an improved welfare package for all.

“Lagos has been the federal capital and commercial nerve centre of the country and it will continue to remain so. The governor has done remarkably well and he has worked hard for the state,” he said.

The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria has urged all Lagosians to publicly show their approval for the wonderful works of Governor Babatunde Fashola-led government in Lagos by trooping out en mass to attend the grand ACN state rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos on Saturday.

The party says such massive public show of support will place the high achieving governor in good stead to reward the highly sophisticated good people of Lagos State with a more stellar performance upon his re-election in April.

In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Joe Igbokwe, the party says that the rally is to showcase the governor to the people of Lagos and hear him speak on the plans ahead and therefore urges Lagosians not to miss this wonderful opportunity to celebrate the success story that has stood out in the midst of the mismanagement by the PDP government at the centre. It promises Lagosians of quality service in the sure to come second term of Governor Fashola.

“On Saturday, March 5th, Lagos will rumble with the mother of rallies at Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos when the ACN will proudly present a humble, learned, capable, unassuming governor to Lagosians for their collective endorsement for another result oriented tenure. On that day, Nigerians will celebrate a visionary leader, a purposeful representative of the new generation of leaders that holds sufficient promise to Nigeria’s rise from the doldrums of the present. We will hear Fashola point the way to the Lagos of the future and how he will actualise the gargantuan vision that has already set sail in Lagos under his stewardship.

“Lagos ACN  is proud of this eminent achiever and we express our pleasure to present him to Lagosians and indeed all Nigerians in a grand ceremony on Saturday and we urge all Lagosians, Yoruba or Igbo, Ijaw of Hause, Ibibio or Idoma, Nupe or Fulani, young or old, men or women, who approve of the gigantic project of renewal Lagos is presently to come and hear Fashola speak to Lagosians about the way to the future. We want all Lagosians and indeed other Nigerians that celebrate this phenomenon to come to the mega rally and feel the pulse of the man of the moment, who through his positive works is rebranding leadership in a country that is noted for visionless, inept and corrupt governance.

“For the four years he has been in power, we have noted that Fashola has become a reference point to even politicians from other parties and states as well as the centre on what governance should be. We have noted that Lagosians have shown their unflinching loyalty and support to the Fashola administration in their desire for the best. We have noted that Nigerians quickly identify Fashola as an epitome of good leadership and have foisted him as an extra-ordinary example of ideal leadership in Nigeria today. For four years, Fashola has redefined governance and positioned it as a vehicle for the service of the people and meeting their needs, to the applause of Nigerians.

“We therefore urge Lagosians to come out en mass to show their open support for Fashola and send a clear message to the interlopers and their den of corrupt invaders that Lagos is not for sale in the coming election.”

We want them to send a clear message to the forces of darkness that Lagosians prefer a result oriented government than a bevy of destroyers who want Lagos just as an additional cash cow to their looting enclave. Lagosians want a service oriented government and they have gotten it in Fashola. We want them to troop out en mass to show their support to him on Saturday so that together, we shall plan the Lagos of the next four years and the future.”

—Jamiu Yisa