Politics

2023: Together we can change our story – Akpabio finally declares for president

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2022

Idowu Ayodele

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After months of calls from groups, organizations, students, market women, and downtrodden that he should contest for the office of the President and having consulted wide with stakeholders across the length and breadth of the country, the Minister, Niger Delta Affairs Ministry, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday formally accepted the call in a speech captioned; “TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE OUR STORY”

Standing before a mammoth crowd that cut across party divides, inside the main bowl of Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium, Akwa Ibom State, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State said, ” my dear Compatriots, determined to pay the debt of gratitude I owe our nation for the opportunities to serve in high offices of public trust; determined to let our nation drink from the deep well of experience acquired in these offices, I, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, with great humility, hereby submit myself for your kind consideration as your next president.

The declaration speech read: “My dear Compatriots, determined to pay the debt of gratitude I owe our nation for the opportunities to serve in high offices of public trust; determined to let our nation drink from the deep well of experience acquired in these offices, I, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, with great humility, hereby, submit myself for your kind consideration as your next President.

“I pay tribute to President Muhammadu Buhari for the patriotic work he has done as our President. He has given hope and direction to governance and fought corruption with uncompromising zeal. He has touched lives and empowered people, he has made great advances in agriculture, human capital development, and indeed, in all sectors of our economy.

“He has uplifted the integrity of the Nigerian nation. A lot can be said about all his amazing successes and achievements, but suffice it to say that I have come to perfect his marvelous

works. Although, Absolute perfection belongs not to man nor Angels, but God alone. The labours of our dear President Buhari and our past leaders shall never be in vain. In line with this expectation in our National Anthem, I have come to build based on their developmental strides; to serve our country with heart and might — serve her as a nation bound in freedom, peace, and unity, where the dividends of democracy shall be guaranteed.

“I have come with these key items on my agenda: to secure lives and properties; to make unity the touchstone of our nationhood; and to invigorate our economy, prosper our citizenry, and promote democracy.

“In 2007, I was elected the Governor of a pedestrian state, languishing on the margins of our national life. A couple of years later, a European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, visited the State and described what he saw, in amazement, as “transformation extraordinaire.”

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“He inadvertently became the originator of the swansong “Uncommon Transformation” which other amazed visitors and residents of the state still echo till now. In Eight years of Uncommon Transformation, we gave the State one of the best road networks in the country (the roads built by us 14 years ago are still pot-hole free).

“We gave the State free and compulsory education for all children up to Senior Secondary School; we gave the state free medical treatment for pregnant women and babies up to the age of five; we delivered to the State world-class facilities like the

International Airport, Tropicana Entertainment Centre, E-Library, Ibom Specialty Hospital (rated as one of the best in Africa), Africa’s first-ever underground pipe-jacking drainage system, Ibom Power Plant, Akwa Ibom State University, the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, and many other projects too numerous to mention.

“We did so much that then serving Presidents and past country leaders wondered where we got money from to do all that we did. The trick was in our vision, strategic planning, commitment, and honest implementation.

“Together we can do more than this for Nigeria. At the Nile Valley in Egypt, people of different colours, languages, religions, and ethnicity cohabited peacefully and gave the world its first modern civilisation. We are a reflection of that alluvial Nile Valley and together we can reinvigorate peace, unity, and development and become the envy of the world.

“This is why I am seeking to be your President. I have done it before as Governor; my office pursued national unity with great zeal. I sent both Christians and Muslims on pilgrimages. The office reflected Federal Character because of my abiding faith in Nigeria and its diversity. Not only did we win uncountable awards & honours, and commendations from institutions like the United States Congress, the Nigeria Defence Academy, foreign countries, prestigious institutions of higher learning, prominent religious and ethnic organizations; even Wikileaks, referenced me as a leader to watch due to my infrastructural revolution and efforts in industrial development.

“We took that pedestrian State out of the margins of our national life, and made it a cynosure of global interest. It attracted global icons such as the President of the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Ivory Coast; the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis; one-time USA presidential aspirant, the Rev Jesse Jackson; diplomats; global sports icons like Don King and Evander Holyfield; and a host of others. I am offering my humble self for service to our dear Nation because I believe that together we can make Nigeria the cynosure of global interest and an African economic lion. There is nothing the Asian tigers have, in terms of human and material resources, that we do not have.

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“As a Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, we have completed projects abandoned for decades and thought to be beyond salvage. We have had key projects commissioned by Mr. President. This uncommon feat was achieved through the support of Mr. President. We have effectively repositioned NDDC to meet its core mandate. As a first-time Senator, after my work as Governor, my distinguished colleagues found me worthy and elected me as their Minority Leader. This was in recognition of the great equity and value I brought to the

Senate. I pay respect to that Hallowed Chamber for that honour. I praise God for His grace.

“The road to Governorship of Akwa Ibom State was marked by immense value-added as the Commissioner of Local

Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Commissioner for Lands and Housing, and Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources. In Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, I left a record in conflict resolution and raised the bar of respect and dignity for the traditional institution in Nigeria, and as your President, we shall give the traditional institution a voice in the functionality and maintenance of peace in our dear country.

“In Lands and Housing, we undertook land reclamation and estate development. In Petroleum and Natural Resources, we connected with Niger Delta issues and maintained peace among the youth, and assisted in bringing militancy to an end in the Niger Delta Region. All these experiences paid off when I became the Governor, which led to this commendation by our eminent patriot and father of this democracy, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, GCFR when he visited the State

“The type of development we are seeing in Akwa Ibom State if all of us in this country follow suit… there will be peace in this country and there will be no need for any misgivings and terrorism.”

“So I declare today conscious that this declaration has raised the bar of hope for all Nigerians, poor or rich. Christian or Muslim. I was raised by a poor, loving mother, who lost her beloved husband six months after my birth. She taught me that life is not about where you came from, but where you are going.

”After primary school, I missed a year of schooling because she could not afford my school fees. Despite this, my love for education drove me to sneak into a nearby Secondary School.

”One day the security of the school chased me through the forest and I fell on a tree trunk and severely injured my leg. That scar left behind a constant reminder that I should always drive children to school, drive people to development, drive goodwill in all my endeavours and be fair to all.

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“It is said that a good heart is a key to an open door; I eventually gained admission to Federal Government College, Port Harcourt. This premier Unity school imbued in me my inflexible faith in the Nigerian Nation and connected me to brothers and sisters in all nooks and crannies of Nigeria. Therefore, my declaration is a trumpet call for unity and action.

“May the Fulanis, the Hausas, and the Tivs arise to this call with deeper faith in the Nigerian mission. May the Yorubas, theIgbos and the Ijaws awake to this call with stronger hope for a greater country.

“May the Efiks, the Ibibios, the Annangs the Kanuris, and indeed, all other ethnic groups in Nigeria hear this call and shout with joy that the clouds of national pains will soon bring forth showers of national gains.

“Fellow Nigerians, when the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Terrence McCulley, visited Akwa Ibom State he noted prophetically, “I have been to Akwa Ibom for the first time, but I have to say that with what I have seen, the future of Nigeria is in Akwa Ibom State.

“The future of the Uncommon Transformation of Nigeria; The future of making this country an African showpiece; That future that McCulley spoke of, is my dream Nigeria. I share this dream with you because the future is the property of those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Together we will overcome every challenge.

“Together we will defeat every Goliath. Together we will turn our mourning into dancing again.

“Let God’s will be done in 2023. God bless our great country.”

Related Topics:2023: Together we can change our story - Akpabio finally declares for president

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Politics

LG Poll: Makinde, OYSIEC have disappointed Oyo people – APC Calls for Cancellation

Published

16 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Idowu Ayodele

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has described the ongoing local government council election as a sham capable of causing the Pacesetter state untold disrepute if allowed to stand.

“And for this not to happen, the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has to halt the exercise and reschedule it for another day when it is ready to conduct a free, fair, and credible poll.”

Reports from across the state indicate that cases of non-availability of election officials, disenfranchisement of eligible voters, shortage of voting materials, violence, and threats to life were recorded while the electoral commission appeared helpless to rescue the situation, even as voters waited endlessly in most of the affected places.

In a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC regretted that “another opportunity to deepen democracy and return power to the people at the grassroots has had to be missed due to the insensitivity and insincerity on the part of the ruling class in the state.

“With what is happening at the moment in most Polling Units across the state, Governor Seyi Makinde has again disappointed the whole world. He promised the people that their votes would count today but the opposite is the case.

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“The good people of the state desired to participate in an election to elect a new set of council officials but what they are experiencing is nothing but a sham.

“Even if OYSIEC comes out later to declare all the candidates of the APC, we would not rate this election as credible and acceptable as it falls below the minimum global standard of election conduct. The best thing is for the Commission to suspend the exercise and choose another date for proper conduct rather than continue to connive with a few anti-democratic elements in the ruling PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud and desecration of democracy in the land.

“For the avoidance of doubt, OYSIEC started with back and forth position on the need to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the conduct of the poll. A few days ago, the Commission recruited PDP members as its ad-hoc staff and this same set of people were saddled with the responsibilities of conducting today’s poll, and they have been carrying out the script given to them by the powers that be in the state. What could be the rationale behind taking 500 pieces of ballot papers to a Polling Unit where about 1,500 registered as eligible voters?

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“OYSIEC failed to mobilize officials to attend to prospective voters in key polling units while it also released inadequate voting materials to virtually all the polling units. In most Polling Units, officials of the Commission did not arrive until noon when most voters had left for their respective homes in frustration. This aptly validated the suspicion that the PDP had handed a script to the Commission to implement in their favor.

“In the 10 local government councils of Oke-Ogun, the official result sheets known as Form EC8A were withheld by OYSIEC’s Electoral Officers while political thugs were unleashed on some members of the opposition who asked questions in places like Kajola, Olorunsogo, Itesiwaju, Ibarapa East, Lagelu, Ido, Oyo East, Atiba, Oluyole among others. The chairman of our party in Ibarapa East, Mr. Segun Ojediran, was violently attacked by the PDP thugs in Eruwa and he is now receiving treatment in a private hospital.

“OYSIEC has failed to accommodate more than 80 percent of the eligible voters in the state today, and there is no way the meager 20 percent of people who were lucky to cast their votes lawfully can decide the fate of the vast majority. Obviously, the Commission allowed a few people to cast their votes at the polling units while the balance of majority rights to vote was secretly handed down to the PDP. Any electoral victory given behind closed doors is illegitimate, tainted, and unacceptable. Therefore, we call for the total cancellation of the whole exercise as it was done today,” APC said.

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Politics

LG Poll: Senator Alli condemns OYSIEC’s election conduct amid alleged attacks

Published

16 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Idowu Ayodele

Senator Sharafadeen Alli, representing Oyo South Senatorial District, has raised serious concerns over the conduct of the Local Government Election by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

The lawmaker, who cast his vote in Ward 3 of Ibadan North Local Area, labeled the electoral process as a “sham.”

Expressing his disappointment, Senator Alli stated, “What is happening here shows there is no preparedness in the conduct of the election. I will say OYSIEC is out for another game because this is almost 11 o’clock, and officers supposed to conduct the election are not here. And this is happening in almost all voting centers in Oyo South Senatorial District.”

Senator Alli further revealed alarming incidents, including an attack on the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibarapa East Local Government, who is reportedly in critical condition at Awojobi Hospital.

Despite these challenges, Alli urged voters to remain calm and refrain from resorting to violence.

The criticism from Senator Alli underscores growing concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the electoral process in Oyo State.

Politics

APC Raises Alarm Over Alleged Fresh Plot by PDP to Rig LG Poll in Oyo

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Idowu Ayodele

As voters in Oyo state warm up to exercise their franchise in the local government council election slated for this Saturday, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over an alleged fresh plot by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to compromise the electoral process and manipulate results in favour of its candidates as against the expectations of the whole world.

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) had indicated its readiness to conclude all arrangements for the emergence (through the ballots) of a new set of elected officials into the 33 local government councils with the conduct of election for the candidates of all registered political parties this Saturday and all hands appear to be on deck for the exercise.

But in a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC berated the ruling PDP and some individuals with vested interest “over their refusal to learn democratic culture and decency as they live in the past where force, intimidation and fraudulent practices determined winners of elections.

“Political watchers and patriots in the society are worried about the shameless conduct of most PDP elements in the state who move around to boast about the plans of their leaders and powers-that-be in the state to write results rather than allow votes to count in this Saturday council election. This set of anti-democratic elements tells whoever that cared to listen they owned OYSIEC and that nobody including security agents, journalists, and accredited observers could stop them from declaring the PDP candidates as the winners in any of the Wards and local government councils.

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“For the avoidance of doubt, we have uncovered some fresh plots by a cartel of desperados in the Agodi Government House to rig the poll in favor of the PDP. This, according to an impeccable source, would afford Gov. Seyi Makinde the opportunity of sustaining his hold on the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections. One of the plots is to influence most of the Electoral Officers in all the 33 LGAs to work with voter registers which have been doctored in such a way that most voters perceived to be either independent-minded or APC supporters would not find their names on Saturday and thereby disenfranchised.

“Also, we have it on good authority that some characters recruited from the Park Management System (PMS) are to be deployed to each Polling Unit where they would aid vote buying and intimidate voters and agents of the opposition parties at the same time. Moreover, many PDP members have been forced on OYSIEC as Ward Collation Officers and the task given to them is to frustrate the seamless collation of results in most of the 351 Wards with a view to paving the way for the submission of fake results already prepared in favour of the ruling party candidates.

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“As it stands now, all eyes are on our dear state and Gov. Makinde cannot afford to renege on his promise to deliver free, fair, and credible poll this time round. Another fact to consider is that any attempt to prevent the good people of the state from voting their conscience and rescue the third tier of government from total collapse this Saturday would not augur well for democracy in the country. Therefore, we appeal to all stakeholders particularly OYSIEC and security agents to be alive to their responsibility before, during, and after the Saturday poll since it means so much to the entire citizenry.” APC stated.