Day OBJ, Jonathan, Mark Campaigned For Imoke

The who is who in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), tagged the largest party in black Africa was at the U J Esuene Sports Stadium in Calabar Tuesday afternoon for what the party called ‘the grand finale’ of the campaign for the governorship election in Cross River State slated for Saturday 25 February. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s President and leader of the party, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo the former president and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Barage, the Acting Chairman of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former vice president to Chief Obasanjo, Senator David Mark, president of the Senate, Honourable Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senator Ben Ayade were all at the rally. Others are governors Chibuike Rotimi Amechi of Rivers, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, and Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna.

Speaking at the rally, President Jonathan said Senator Imoke the candidate of the party has performed excellently in the past five years as governor of the state and therefore deserves a second term and declared that even outside Nigeria, Cross River State stands out in cleanliness and tourism and accordingly called on “everyone to vote for Imoke” on the 25th of February.

“I want to reemphasise the good works of Senator Liyel Imoke. Let me start with a statement made by fomer president Obansanjo when he said the he envies the unity we have shown in Cross River State PDP family.

“You know that in every state, so long as we are human beings we would have cause to disagree, but whether we disagree, what makes us unique is our ability to resolve our differences. When I came in here and saw Governor Duke and his wife and others it makes me very happy that. It shows that Cross River State is one and I therefore call on every one to vote for Imoke on Saturday.”

President Jonathan assured that he would soon put in place measures that would ensure that subsequent elections are conducted without security agents bearing arms in polling stations.

“At the national level starting from my elections in April 2011, we have been advocating one man one vote, one youth one vote and we are succeeding. The next step of our campaign is that we want to make sure we conduct elections in Nigeria without police; we want to conduct election without security people carrying guns”. Jonathan stated.

Chief Obasanjo attracted loud applause when he mounted the podium and a louder one when he told the crowd that “In my part of the world. When you have a masquerade that dances well you rejoice and Imoke is my masquerade and he dances well”.

Obasanjo said he was “ordered” by Imoke to attend the rally and “Imoke is one of the few persons who can order me”.

On his part, Senator Imoke, the candidate of the PDP reeled out his landmark projects which span construction of rural road networks, rehabilitation of hospital infrastructure and school facilities and assured that he would do more in his second tenure in office.

Senator David Mark, President of the Senate who was flanked on the podium by Emeka Ihedioha and Prof Ben Ayade said the rally was not a campaign but a “thank you” celebration to the people of the state because it is apparent the PDP would win the election by a landslide.

Abubakar Baraje, the Acting Chairman of the party said the party has won in Kogi “where the opposition thought they had the PDP in a corner, in Adamawa with an array of opposition parties, in Sokoto and Bayelsa some days ago and Cross River is going to be another landslide.”

Meanwhile the opposition in the state is making a shaky start in their campaign for the election. They complain the time is too short. The Action Congress of Nigeria, has Pastor Usani Usani as its candidate, the Labour Party has fire brand lawyer, Ima Adegoke, Hope Party has Theo Onyukwu and ANPP has Okom Iso as its candidate.

The election is scheduled to go ahead as Professor Atahiru Jega told stake holders on Wednesday at the Cultural Centre Calabar that the High Court Order allegedly procured by the ANPP candidate, Okom Iso was fake. “We sent our lawyers to the court and the judge said the court did not issue any order to that effect,” Jega said.s

— Emmanuel Una. Calabar