By Rotimi Agboluaje (Ibadan) Ayodele Afolabi (Ado-Ekiti)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State of sabotaging the presidential rally held in the state by allegedly forcing the National Road Transport Union Workers (NURTW) to withdraw services across the state.
The drivers had withdrawn their services, saying that they have declared the day for prayer and fasting. A leader of the union, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that they had scheduled the day for praying to forestall accidents and deaths on the road.
National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, who spoke on the development while addressing the crowd at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, pointed accusing fingers at the powers within and the power without, saying: “Some of you came here trekking, some climbed bicycles, others used their private vehicles to convey people here because you have a political party that does not believe in democracy. If you believe in democracy, you will allow other political parties to express themselves.
“The enemy without and the enemy within made sure that there will be no vehicular movement today in the whole of Ekiti but you disappointed them. All of you are here because you are committed to the rescue and rebuilding of the country. Nobody can stop you from liberating yourselves from the misrule of the current government. They have not been able to give you a good road. They have been unable to even maintain the roads that the PDP built.
The presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, said some enemies within the party planned to cripple consultation in Ado-Ekiti, reiterating his earlier pledge to set aside $10 billion as lifeline for youths’ employment.
In his remarks, the vice presidential candidate of the party, Ifeanyi Okowa, said: “I salute all our leaders in Ekiti for staying firm despite what they did to us because we saw the excitement in the Ekiti people. What we saw shows that they support Atiku. No matter what the APC government did to us, they cannot stop us.”
The former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose and his political associates, including candidates of the party for the House of Representatives and Senate, except the senator representing Ekiti South District, Biodun Olujimi and the House of Representatives for Ekiti South Federal Constituency II, were absent at the rally.
MEANWHILE, Director of Strategic Communications of the Presidential Campaign Council of the PDP, Dele Momodu, yesterday, said Atiku would defeat Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the four zones of the country and get 25 per cent of the votes cast in all the northern states, five in the South-South, Oyo and Lagos in the South-West.
Momodu, who stated this during in a live programme at Agidigbo 88.7 FM in Ibadan, said Atiku had more experience than other contestants. He said: ‘’Atiku and Tinubu are the most popular and prominent candidates. Though Peter Obi is trying, I am very sure that Atiku will win. He has the experience and what it takes to govern the country because he has been on it for the past 30 years.
‘’Atiku’s chance is markedly far better than that of Tinubu.
‘’My advice to Tinubu is to call his dogs to order because we were comrades during the NADECO era. The only time I have attacked Tinubu was when Festus Keyamo attacked me. It is not in my character to attack anyone. I don’t want to be dragged into what is not necessary. I am only concerned about Atiku’s victory. He is the most experienced. He is the only national leader in the race. When they call Tinubu national leader, anyone can call himself any name he wants, just like some musicians are calling themselves professors,” he said.
Source: The Guardian
