The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the victory of the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, as a forgone conclusion. The State Party Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, made the declaration while commenting on the unprecedented crowd that turned out on Saturday to receive Dr. Peterside as his campaign train hit home.
“It is often said that a prophet is not honoured in his community but Dakuku Peterside has proved to be an exception. The unprecedented crowd of men and women, young and old – including non-indigenes – in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government who in unism assured Peterside of their support indicates that his victory in the forthcoming governorship election is a foregone conclusion by the grace of God. It was particularly touching to see elderly women of age 70 and above while donating their savings to Peterside’s campaign fund and prayed that God who made their son to be the APC flag-bearer will ensure his emergence as the next Governor of Rivers State,” Ikanya said in a statement.
In the statement issued Monday morning in Port Harcourt, Ikanya wondered why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is so afraid of election. “Postponing the elections from February to March and April will not in any way save PDP. It is just a matter of weeks; no matter the game plans of the Presidency and PDP leadership, nothing will change the plan of God,” the Rivers APC Chairman said. He restated that the governorship slot was allotted to Riverine Rivers based on equity and fairness as APC believes that power must rotate. “Anybody working against the candidature of Dakuku Peterside is an enemy of fairness in Rivers State,” Ikanya stated.
At Saturday’s campaign stop in Opobo, all the speakers, including Hon. Michael Donald Igolima the CTC Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Mrs. John Africa spoke for Opobo Elderly Women, Chief Sullivan Akachukwu, who spoke for the non-indigenes; Dr Sofiri B. Peterside, who spoke for the youths; and Hon. Maclean B Uranta, a community leader and former Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, supported the candidature of Dakuku Peterside on behalf of their groups.
Dr. Sam Jaja, a member of the Board of Trustees of APC, who is also a son of the area, spoke on behalf of the Opobo Community. He thanked the State APC leadership for considering Opobo/Nkoro worthy to be given the office of the Governor of Rivers State. Jaja described the event as a tip of the celebration that would be witnessed during the swearing-in ceremony of Dakuku Peterside as the Governor of Rivers State come May, 29th, 2015.
In his speech, Director General of Rivers APC Campaign Organisation, Chief Victor Giadom, emphasised that no matter the date of the election as fixed by INEC, what matters is that Dr. Peterside will be sworn-in as Governor on May 29th, 2015, and General Muhammadu Buhari as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thanking his people for their love and support, Dakuku Peterside said it would be unfair to ask him to campaign in his own place as his initiatives exhibited in various projects in the area attest that he is a good representative of his people in all the offices he has so far occupied on their behalf. The offices include as Chairman of the Local Government, when he was declared as the Best and Most Outstanding Chairman in Rivers State, as Commissioner of Works under the administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi, and presently as a member of the Federal House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee on Upstream.
Dr. Peterside publicly conveyed his people’s appreciation that out of the 23 local government areas it was Opobo/Nkoro that was chosen and “God decided that a son of this area be chosen to be the next Governor of Rivers State.” He reassured all Rivers people including the non-indigenes, of the commitment of his administration once elected to continue the legacies of Governor Amaechi, “including empowering all Rivers State people, of which the non-indigenes are an integral part, through my Four-Point Agenda titled ‘Road Map to Prosperity’ for the people of Rivers State.” The APC flag-bearer explained that the Four-Point Agenda aimed at taking Rivers State to the next level include Public Sector Accountability and Security of Lives and Properties; Employment Generation and Wealth Creation; Social and Human Capital Development and Empowerment; as well as Institutional and Physical infrastructure Development and Food Security.
Dr. Peterside thereafter presented his running mate, Hon. Honourable Asita O Asita, to the huge crowd. Hon. Asita in his remarks assured the people that the forthcoming Peterside administration would develop Opobo/Nkoro, including reclaiming the land for roads and other projects. He thanked the community for giving APC a person of Dakuku Peterside’s caliber and assured them that they would be adequately rewarded.