Assistant Editor, South South, JOE EZUMA, writes on the uncommon strategies of River State APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, in wooing the electorate.
Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dakuku Peterside, is fast breaking new grounds in his campaign for the Government House.
Dakuku, in going about the agenda, is employing the strong sentiments of culture, language, commerce, ethnic unity and reverence to traditional institutions to woo the electorate.
The APC candidate speaks all the major languages in the state – Igbani Igbo, Ogoni and Kalabari, an attribute he employs to gain wider acceptability among the component units of the state.
On Tuesday, January 19, he was in largely Igbo-speaking local government of Oyigbo (Obigbo) where he fired the people’s nationalism and hit at the heart of the business community.
Oyigbo, at the fringe of the state in its eastern border with Abia with vast majority of its populations speaking various variants of Igbo language, has suffered neglect from successive administrations. Its commercial population has also been yearning for government attention for conducive business environment.
These and more are what the APC hopeful is exploiting in his campaigns. At Iriebe, Oyigbo metal and steel market, the candidate and his team, after singing and dancing with the trading community that controls the over N20 billion market, told them: “I’ve come to visit my brothers. You are very important to us. Without you, our economy cannot be complete. The economy of the state rests on the economic activities of the Igbo.”
He urged the traders not to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, “because they thrive in multiple taxation”, and promised streamlining the state’s revenue regime and up-grading their business environment. According to him, “encouraging the business community is a sure way of creating jobs and stimulation of the economy”. He also condemned the policy that scares away business men and women from the state.
Peterside added: “We will streamline revenue drive as well as abolish the activities of touts for a well secured business environment by flushing criminals out of the state. We will create low-interest loan of not more than five percent for traders in a system of liberal repayment. My government will be in partnership with the building material traders for smooth infrastructural development of the state especially roads.”
The message was the same for the building material sector. The Igbo boast of 1.2 million voters in the state.
Engaging the traditional institution
At the palace of the traditional ruler of Ndoki clan, Eze Sylvanus Nwaeke, Peterside assured that his administration would protect the interest of the people.
In response, the people advised the candidate to develop listening ears to people when he assumes office as governor. The paramount ruler conferred him with a chieftaincy title and informed him that Oyigbo is backward in terms of educational and infrastructural development and appealed for the increase of their children’s quota in the existing educational development progamme of the state.
The APC candidate told the people of Oyigbo comprising Asa, Ndoki, Afam and other communities that the economy of the nation had collapsed with the free fall of the naira, in addition to mismanagement and failure by responsible authorities to contain the incidence of corruption.
On the candidate’s entourage were the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari; State APC Chairman, Davies Ikanya; Senator Magnus Abe, Victor Giadom, Sam Jaja, and Allwell Onyeso.
Earlier at Akpor in Ikwerre land, Peterside was endorsed by the people during a meeting. The vice chairman of the traditional rulers’ council and traditional ruler of Akpor Kingdom, Eze Orlu Oriebe, who represented the traditional ruler, the Iriebe Nyewelli, Akpor Kingdom.
Oriebe noted that Peterside was the only contestant that had thought it wise to visit the traditional council.
Impressed by his respect for the traditional institution and the community, the traditional ruler of Eleme in Eleme Local Government Area, Sir Emere Ejire, described Eleme as stronghold of APC, adding that it is a party that cares for both the strong and the weak.
“Let me enjoin you to always be guided in all your undertakings when you become governor of this state, especially by not betraying the confidence reposed in you by Rivers people,” he told Peterside.
