Chucks Okocha in Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kogi State, Mr. Musa Wada, has said the party is ready to reclaim the mantle of leadership in the state by November 16.
Wada, who said this while speaking with journalists yesterday in Abuja, said that Kogi traditionally belongs to the PDP, adding that the party was ready to take over the state.
He said members of PDP in Kogi would not be afraid of power of incumbency and would be committed to peaceful and issue-based campaign.
Wada, who was on Friday issued with the Certificate of Return by the party, said that the PDP was going into action, constitute necessary committees and at due time launch into peaceful campaign across the state.
Wada said that though Nigerians were aware of how volatile Kogi used to be during election period, PDP was fully committed to peaceful and issue-based campaign.
“No civilised democracy tolerates violence and then I have to hasten to say that nobody has monopoly of violence.
“PDP is a peaceful party. We will not encourage violence, but that is not to say that we will seat and fold our hands when we are being tormented by forces that are undemocratic.
“Traditionally, Kogi is a PDP state and we have always removed incumbent governors.
Back to history, PDP removed former Governor, Prince Abubakar Audu in 2003.’’
Wada, who urged the people not to allow political elements to use them for electoral violence, urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to embrace peaceful election, saying violence does not help anybody.
“Nobody will put his child forward to carry gun and attack others. People should realise that people using them as thugs have children. Why didn’t they use their children as thugs?
“PDP is going into this election to preach to people about our manifesto, to take away poverty that is now synonymous with our state. It is about issues.
“We are not going to care about violence, but let me tell you that we are very much on ground. We have grassroots supports and on their own, they are ready to quell violence that may come their way,” he said.
Wada pledged total revival of all sectors of the state, thorough a six-point agenda, which includes infrastructure, health, human empowerment, security and education.
According to him, “the issue is that today nothing is working in Kogi; everything is bad, including security. The state is very porous, proliferation of guns everywhere.
“The civil servants are not paid. The road infrastructure is zero, from the state capital to the grassroots,’’ Wada said.
He said if elected as governor, he would declare a state of emergency in all sectors and begin the implementation of his six-point agenda to revive all the sectors of the economy.
“We are talking of revival of the whole sectors because nothing is working.
“I have always said that Kogi is the capital of poverty in Nigeria. From stomach infrastructure to human empowerment, we will revive the entire decayed infrastructure. So, the work is enormous. We are going to face this head long,’’ he added.
Wada advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure that the election is free, credible and reflect the wish of the people.
The governorship candidate, however, described the issue of endorsement of the incumbent as a hype, saying there was nothing like endorsement of anybody by any traditional institution.
Wada also described as false, the claim that the state workers’ salaries had been fully paid up August.
“I have my relations and brothers and sisters and friends, who are in civil service in Kogi. As I am speaking with you, I don’t think any of them have received salary in the last few months,’’ Wada said.
