12th November, 2014
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
National leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday in Benin, told President Goodluck Jonathan and his People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government that the time has come for them to quit Aso Rock ahead of 2015 Election, saying that APC was determined to install a government that will tackle the country’s problems with new ideas.
The call for Jonathan’s government to be prepared to leave Aso Rock came at the Dr. Sam Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin during the 6th Anniversary Celebration of Governor Oshiomhole in office.
National leader of APC and former governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at the occasion, called on Nigerians to be ready to use their votes to break the shackles of poverty and defend their liberty.
He lamented the take over of Mubi, the second largest commercial city in Adamawa, by the dreaded insurgent group, Boko Haram, saying that “no sane leadership will stay and watch part of his country taken away by insurgence.
Tinubu who criticised President Jonathan for being insensitive by declaring his intention to seek re-election at a time when scores of students of Government Science Secondary School, Potiskum were massacred by a suicide bomber, added that, “Jonathan is dancing on the children’s blood and graves. A wise president will stay at the villa and make his declaration to run.”
The APC leader who also lashed at INEC for reducing Lagos voters from 6.2million in 2011 to 4.8million currently, described “the PDP and INEC as “Siamese twins”, but pledged “we will separate them through surgical operation.”
Also speaking at the occasion was former vice president and presidential aspirant of APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. He commended Oshiomhole for his good works in Edo and urged all the people of the state to sustain the change and momentum to enable the party win power at the national level.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, in his speech, assured that APC will provide Nigerians with good governance, saying “what we have at the moment is by no means a government, but a cabal that has hijacked instruments of power from the people of Nigeria”.
While observing that President Goodluck Jonathan rode to power on a platform of sentiments and ethnic minorities, Tambuwal said the minorities have nothing to show for his presidency, pointing out that “sentiment cannot produce good governance. What Nigerians needs is good governance”.
“In 2015, APC will change the present order that closed down universities for several months, that has not provided employment to Nigerians”, Tambuwal said and called on Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) to stop using public funds to campaign for Jonathan.
National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, observed that Oshiomhole’s six years in office has permanently changed the face of politics in Edo state as his administration has transformed many facets of the state.
Oyegun who promised the people a new Nigeria, said the country was being destroyed by a totally clueless government, saying that Mubi was overrun without firing a shot. He assured that APC will win the next presidential election.
Former national chairman of the PDP and chieftain of APC, Chief Audu Ogbeh faulted Jonathan for setting up a special force to fight Boko Haram, saying that there was no provision in the country’s laws for the setting up of such a force.
Ogbeh however praised Nigeria Army’s fighting spirit in the past and said the announcement of the setting up of the special force was like a funeral oration of the Nigerian Army.
He also faulted President Jonathan’s claim to good performance, saying that the World Bank has said that Nigeria will be the greatest contributors to World Poverty in the next 16 to 20 years.
He therefore called on Nigerians not to believe lies being told by Jonathan’s administration to deceive them to supporting his re-election, describing the PDP as a mafia organisation.
Oshiomhole who had earlier reeled out his scorecard in the last six years in office, noted that he has improved on the lives of the people of Edo state.
The governor lampooned Jonathan’s statement that Edo state will fall to the PDP in 2015, just as he warned against misuse of Nigerian Army to rig election, saying that the people were ready to resist such move with their voter’s cards.