President Goodluck Jonathan
James Sowole in Akure
Akure, the Ondo State capital, stood still for several hours saturday as President Goodluck Jonathan led other national leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on a campaign for the party’s candidate in the October 20 Gubernatorial Election in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke.
The president was accompanied by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, the Senate President, David Mark, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the Chairman of the Governor’s Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Seriake Dickson.
Other leaders of the party at the rally held at the Democracy Park in the heart of Akure included former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, his deputy, Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru, Senator Bode Olajumoke, the National Women Leader of the PDP, Dr Kema Chikwe, the Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada, among others.
For several hours that the programme lasted, traffic was diverted on the popular Oyemekun/Adesida road while the event was held under tight security provided by agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the State Security Services, Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Jonathan, who rounded off the speech-making session of the campaign, restated the Federal Government’s commitment to the free and fair election in the country, which is the golden rule of democracy.
The president promised that the Federal Government would ensure that Nigeria remains on top among the comity of nations in the manner in which we select our leaders.
He warned that there would not be room for any form of violence on the day of election as all measures had been put in place to curb any form of act inimical to free and fair election.
“The Federal Government would not allow any thug to come out on that day. If you know that your son will be used as thug, if you know that your husband will be used as thug, tell him to go away from Ondo State because nobody will allow thuggery. It is one man one vote, one woman one vote, one youth one vote”, he said.
While promising to work with the governor to be, Jonathan noted that Ondo State is richly blessed with agricultural and mineral resources that would be harnessed for the betterment of the people, saying the policy in place would ensure that the people of the state are rich.
The Vice President and the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Campaign for the Ondo State Election, who commended Jonathan for his commitment to free and fair election, urged the people to come out in their large number to vote for the PDP candidate.
The PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, who presented the flag to the party’s candidate, said everybody including President Jonathan is in the state to give solidarity to the PDP and its candidate in the forthcoming election.
The Senate President, David Mark, said he had seen it in the face of the people gathered that the state needs a change in term of who govern them.