Atiku Decentralises Campaign Structures, Appoints Zonal Heads

* Emmanuel: Our campaigns’ll be issue-based, focus on goals

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, announced the  decentralisation  of his campaign structures and also appointed zonal  heads for the council.
Also, yesterday, Chairman of the PDP presidential campaign council and Governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel, said the party’s campaign would be focused and based on what the PDP had done and what it intends to do further.

Announcing the decentralisation of the 600 membership, National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, said the former governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Muazu, would head the Atiku Presidential Campaign Council for the Northeast, while the former governor of Katsina State. Ibrahim Shema, would head the presidential campaigns in the Northwest.

Former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, he said, would head the Southeast presidential campaign council.
Wife of the former leader of the PDP, Mrs Josephine Anenih, was announced as the head of the campaigns for the South-south zone, while a former national secretary and a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was appointed head of the presidential campaigns.
Chief Chille Igbawua from Kogi State was announced as head of the campaigns for the North Central.

Speaking earlier, Emmanuel charged members of the campaign organisation to ensure that the campaigns were issue-based and focused.
He said, “This campaigns, which I am the chairman by the Grace of God will be issue-based and focused. We are going into this campaign with what the PDP has done and what it intends to do. One thing is clear: PDP will turn around the economy in no distant time, when we come back as the ruling party.
“Our campaigns will be based on bottom to top, and not the top to bottom that has brought sorrow and crisis to the people. We intend to turn things around for the good of all Nigerians,” he stated.
Asked how the PDP planned to do this, he said, “We have the people as our main resources. There is no part of Nigeria that you cannot not find the PDP members.”

He described campaigns as mere jamboree, stating that, “Whatever happens is that the people will vote for the PDP and we’ll defend our votes.”
He however, PDP called on all members of the campaign to go back to their wards and polling units and campaign as elections are not won in Abuja.
In his speech, the Delta State Governor and vice-presidential candidate of the party, Ifeanyi Okowa, said there were lots of works to be done, but explained that this will eventually birth a new Nigeria, where purposeful leadership would be guaranteed.

He boosted that with what he saw in Kano and Enugu a fortnight ago, the PDP would win convincingly in the Southeast and northwest.
The PDP vice presidential candidate appealed to the various heads of the Campaign organisation to pay attentions in the polling units and wards, as this is where elections were rigged.

“The PDP will emerge victorious as it did in Osun State, where no one gave us a chance. We will win convincingly in Southwest. What we need is to be bold and courageous,” he said.

Igbawua, former chief Commissioner, Federal Complaints Commission and member of the Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign, said, “Benue State is a PDP state and indeed the only state in the North Central under a PDP Government. The Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, is a staunch PDP stalwart and certainly does not have any plans to lose elections.”

In their various speeches, Shema, Ihedioha and Muazu, called for issue-based and focused campaigns, and called on all members to proceed to their states and wards to deliver the PDP.