PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has charged members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to maintain the doctrine of free and fair election, even as he expressed the conviction that the PDP would win upcoming governorship elections in Bayalsa, Sokoto and Cross River states.

President Jonathan, who said this in Sokoto, on Thursday, at the formal commencement of the governorship election campaign of the immediate-past governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, held at the Sokoto Trade Fair ground, said PDP members should ensure compliance with the principle of one man, one vote during the February 18 gubernatorial election in the state.

“As members of the ruling party, we must lead by example in ensuring strict observance of the principle of one man one vote, one woman one vote, one youth one vote,” he said.

He urged supporters of the party to guard their voter registration cards, so as to emerge victorious in the election.

Speaking earlier, the chairman, PDP national gubernatorial election committee and vice-president, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, said seeing the crowd of supporters of Wamakko, the task of his committee had already been accomplished.

He said this was because it was clear to him that the people of Sokoto had resolved to cast their votes in favour of the immediate past governor of the state.

In his speech, the PDP acting national chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, said the national leadership of the party had given the people of Sokoto the man they desired to govern their affairs and, therefore, they should come out en masse to cast their votes for Wamakko.

Speaking, Wamakko assured President Jonathan that people of Sokoto were in total support of his policies and programmes, adding that the presence of the president had, in turn, confirmed to the Sokoto people that he was concerned about their welfare as a people.

Earlier, President Jonathan acknowledged that Nigeria, as a nation, was passing through trying moments, but assured of the commitment of his administration to ensure the delivery of dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

Speaking when he paid a visit on the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saád Abubakar, at his palace, Jonathan said the Federal Government, under his leadership, would never disappoint Nigerians.

Responding, the sultan stressed the need for social justice in Nigeria, saying that it was the bedrock of development.

He assured the president of the support of traditional rulers in the country towards the success of his administration, especially in the area of sustenance of peace.

The president was accompanied to the palace by Alhaji Wamakko; Vice-President Sambo; Senate President, David Mark; Speaker, House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Tambawal; former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar; Governors Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa (Kaduna), Sa’idu Dakingari (Kebbi) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).

Meanwhile, ahead of the governorship election holding in Bayelsa State tomorrow, no fewer that 15,000 security personnel have been deployed for the election in the state.

Out of this figure, police authorities had already deployed 10,000 policemen, while the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force were to complement this with additional 5,000 men.

Stating this during a press briefing in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Thursday, ahead of tomorrow’s poll was the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Chris Olakpe, adding that arrangements had been concluded for the arrival of anti-bomb squads from Edo, Delta and Rivers states in Bayelsa today.

“We have enough manpower, material combinations and logistics for the poll and the police are committed to ensuring the conduct of a hitch free election, devoid of violence and any other act of criminality,” he said.

According to Olakpe, “because of the election and peculiarity of the terrain in Bayelsa, we would use police speedboats to convey our men, who had been deployed in riverine communities, starting from Friday (today), so that they will be at their respective duty posts for effective monitoring before the commencement of the voting activities.”

The police boss, who assumed duties on Wed-nesday, said “we are going to effectively police all the polling booths, while normal patrols in the state would go on unabated.”

He asked that he be called on the following mobile lines: 08089441430 or 08036929809 for quick action.

Comments (0)

Show/hide comments

Show/hide comment form

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment