ACN Sets Agenda For April Polls (II)

Furthermore, at the Aminu Kano Trianglar square in Jigawa State, flag- bearers of the ACN for the zone were presented with the party’s flag, which was witnessed by a huge crowd and ACN leaders from various parts of the country. It is instructive to note that the presidential flag-bearer and the vice-presidential candidate of ACN Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Mr. Fola Adeola were respectively presented to the public.

Mallam Ribadu announced that “the time for change has come and this is just the beginning. This is the moment of change. This is the opportunity we have been waiting for. Time has come to claim our country back and this is what we are doing at the moment.” And, Mr. Adeola in his own remarks, said “we will focus on those aspects of life that provide gainful employment to the Nigerian people and which enhances their socio-economic wellbeing.”

Asiwaju Tinubu said on the occasion that “today is a great day for Nigerians and Jigawa State in particular. We bring to you a fresh hope, such that will change the lives of the people positively and wipe their tears of sorrow. Today, we shall see Ribadu and Adeola as a new hope for a better Nigeria as these two men will send packing, the government of greed and dictatorship.”

Asiwaju Tinubu added: “We promise that we will change the government that believes only in rigging and we will not give them the chance to perpetuate rigging any longer; and when the ACN forms the Federal Government, we will carry out reforms in all aspects of our national life, including the police, education and agricultural sectors as well as provide all other necessities of life.”

In Lagos State, the ACN organised several rallies in all the senatorial districts of the state to sensitise supporters of the great party in the state as a precursor to the mass rally on 5 March at the Tafawa Balewa Square. The sensitisation rallies were led by the ACN chairman in Lagos State, Otunba Henry Ajomole. The West Senatorial District held their rallies at the Volkswagen Ground and Agege Stadium. ACN members from Badagry, Ojo, Olorunda, Amuwo-Odofin and Iba Councils had their rally simultaneously at the Volkswagen playing centre. At Gbagada, party leaders and followers from Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu, Somolu, Bariga and Kosofe converged on Gbagada playing ground. Lagos Central District held their rally at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere which was addressed by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, Alhaji Yakub Balogun, Wale Oshun, Tunji Bello, Jide Jimoh, Alhaji Alade Williams, Joe Igbokwe and several others. All the rallies drew attention to the progress made in Lagos State in the last 12 years and the need to consolidate on the glory and achievements of the past. They made allusion to the transformation of Lagos which has not only become the cynosure of all eyes, but indeed the reference point in Nigeria and beyond.

Also, at a pre-campaign press conference held at the ACN Secretariat in Ogba, spokesman for the Campaign Committee, Tunji Bello, said the administration would focus on provision modernization and expansion of infrastructure across the state. Bello said under the proposed development plans, priority would be given to Badagry and Epe to boost agriculture and tourism, expand economic opportunities, and promote rural-urban integration. He said, “we will continue to implement policies that will accelerate economic growth, create jobs and reduce poverty.” He went on to list the achievements of the administration in the area of the administration in education, health, rural development, security, transportation, infrastructure development and public accountability. He urged the people to vote for ACN candidates next month, adding that a vote for Fashola would translate to continuity of efficient service delivery.

Bello said “another emphasis of our administration will be on power supply, which is crucial to economic productivity and employment generation. Already, we have completed an Independent Power Project (IPP) at Ajele, which will power 22 streets, schools and government offices on Lagos Island. This is in addition to the IPP plant that is now supplying electricity to the Lagos State Water Corporation, with positive impact on water supply. We will multiply such off-grid projects across the state to improve power supply, boost economic activities and reduce poverty.”

At the 5th of March, 2011 ACN rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), many leaders of the party addressed the crowd with music supplied by the irrepressible fuji maestro, Ayinde Marshal or K1 The Ultimate, as he fondly called. The people were addressed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Mr. Fola Adeola, Chief Adebisi Akande, Otunba Henry Ajomole, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) and others. The TBS was filled to capacity and those outside were much more than those inside. It was a carnival- like atmosphere with people from the length and breadth of the state showing their appreciation for good governance and touching the lives of the people in a very positive way.

Fashola said in the last four years they have done a lot for the good people of Lagos State and if given the opportunity he would do more.

He reeled out his achievements in the field of transportation, road traffic control and management, health, education, environment, infrastructure development, rural development, etc. And, he said that in second term by the special grace of God Almighty he would do the following:

•Complete the light rail project

•Complete the Lagos-Badagry expressway

•Improve water transportation by building jetties across the state

•Provision of IPP’s in the state

•Completion of the Lekki Airport

•Completion of the Lekki Free Trade Zone

•Provision of massive low and medium houses for the vulnerable and middle class

•Tourism Development

•Provision of international shopping malls across the state

•Provision of employment opportunities

•Creation of wealth

•Creation of enabling environment for private initiatives to thrive

•Improve the lot of the workers in the state

•Make Lagos State in the next four years the envy of all.

The event was witnessed by ACN leaders from all parts of the state and beyond, as this resulted in heavy traffic gridlock in the Ikoyi, Victoria-Island and Lagos Island axis of Lagos State. Lagos State was at a standstill as ACN spread the gospel of good governance and better life to the good people of the state. It is also important to note that at the gathering several chieftains of the PDP from 13 local government areas decamped to ACN.

In Benue State, the ACN was denied the use of the IBB Square in Markurdi, and it hurriedly relocated to Gboko, the traditional headquarters of the Tiv nation. To the surprise of all, the crowd that graced the occasion was massive, the arena was filled to capacity and the crowd outside was still massive. Amongst the people that addressed the gathering were Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator J.K. Waku, the ACN governorship candidate for Benue State, Professor Torkuma Steve Ugbah, the deputy governorship candidate, Abubakar Young Alhaji, the ACN presidential flag-bearer, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, his running mate, Mr. Fola Adeola, Dr George Akume, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, Rev. Jolly Nyame, Chief Audu Ogbeh, General Lawrence Onoja, Chief Adebisi Akande, Senator Akaghergher and several other stalwarts of the party.

They various speakers paid glowing tribute to the good people of Benue State especially the teeming supporters of the ACN who came to the venue of the campaign between 10 a.m. andstayed till 7.30pm. They were never tired as they demonstrated maximum support and determination to ensure a change of guards at the Benue State Government House on 29 May, 2011.

Those who addressed the audience painted a very pathetic and parlous state of affairs in Benue State, as it relates to general unemployment, widespread poverty, infrastructure neglect and decay, hospitals in the state are worse than mere consulting clinics, education is in a very bad shape, while roads across the state are in deplorable state of disrepair, illegal deduction of local government funds which are not used for anything, political intolerance, no sense of direction by the present occupiers of office in the state, a government that cheats and beats her people, all the founding members of PDP in the state have left the party, even the governor ordered that leaders of ACN in the state should be arrested because they are security risk.

The ACN leaders then said that the ACN in the state would address the following issues with the urgency and determination they deserve:

•Employment generation, job creation and wealth creation

•Eradication of poverty

•Deal with corruption

•Systematic transformation of agrarian economy of the state

•Creation of farm settlements across the state

•Provision of soft loans, farm equipment, chemical, seedlings and technical support to boost the agriculture potentials of the state

•Massive infrastructure development

•Construction of new roads and maintenance of existing ones

•Provision of fully equipped hospitals and educational institutions

•Establishment of small and medium scale industries especially in the agro-allied sub-sector

•Development of the tourism potentials of the state

The speakers urged the electorates to come out en masse and vote for ACN candidates at all levels, they also explained to them the need for them to protect their votes as well as the fact that they must never sell their voters card.

In a similar fashion, the presidential campaign train of the ACN was at Akure, the capital city of Ondo State, the group was led by the ACN National Chairman, Chief Adebisi Akande, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Osun State Governor, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, his Ekiti counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the ACN presidential candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; his running mate, Mr. Fola Adeola, the state chairperson of the ACN, Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose her counterpart in Osun State, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi amongst several other leaders of the party that were present at the occasion.

Speaking at the crowded rally, Chief Akande said the time for change had come in Ondo State and the country as a whole. According to him, the only way to have good governance was to flush out bad leaders who are presently holding the mantle of leadership. He further explained that, “we are witnessing the proof of revolution in Ondo State with the massive crowd that welcomed us to this rally. It is time to say no to bad governance without security, joy and contentment. It has happened in Lagos, Edo, Osun and Ekiti. It will also happen in Abuja FCT and other states of the country.”

Akande thereafter presented the party’s flag to its candidate, Mallam Ribadu, amid jubilation. Also, the chairman of the party in the state, Mrs. Anifowose presented the three senatorial candidates from South, Central and North, Dr. Paul Akintelure, Dr. Michael Akintade and Dr. Olu Agunloye, respectively to the people.

Asiwaju Tinubu in his own remarks underscored the fact that the electorate in Ondo State should reject the Labour Party candidates in the general elections because the party’s leadership shunned an alliance with the ACN. He noted that LP in Ondo refused to join hands with the ACN despite the massive support the party received from ACN when its mandate was stolen by PDP after the 2007 general elections. He said Mallam Ribadu and Fola Adeola as President and Vice President of Nigeria under the aegis of the ACN would tackle unemployment, poor infrastructure and energy challenges, which were bedevilling the country. He described the 12 years of PDP rule in Nigeria as a waste, as social infrastructure remained in a deplorable condition, while insecurity and corruption remained the order of the day. While Ribadu pledged to stamp out corruption from the polity and provide employment for unemployed graduates in the country if elected as president.

As the ACN campaign train moves from state to state, from Kaduna, Katsina, Akwa-Ibom, Abia states for the vigorous campaigns for ACN candidates at all levels for April polls, the number one opposition party offers a better, credible, people-centred and development-oriented government away from the protracted mess of the present. The ACN offers an opportunity to restore Nigeria’s lost glory and make Nigeria once again join the comity of nations that will not only be respected but listened to, whatever she speaks. The ACN makes reference to the fact that the states controlled by it are far better than others, in terms of delivering on electoral promises and ensuring that the dividends of democracy get to the people that need them most.

Of particular importance is the fact that the ACN has appealed to the electorate to come out in very large numbers to cast their votes for the various candidates of the party as well as defend their votes. The ACN also appealed to the members of the public not to sell their voter’s card.

And, from the way ACN is going, particularly with mass mobilisation across the country and vigorous campaign, the number one opposition party is set to upset the apple cart against the calculations of bookmakers, even as ACN is set to go to other states of the federation to sell itself and her candidates to the people.

•Jide Ayobolu is a public affairs commentator. He resides in Lagos