By WILLY EYA
Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the March 28 presidential election, Muhammadu Buhari will never rule Nigeria again.
He said that the former military dictator lacks the credentials and temperament to rule the nation at this time of her history.
The OPC leader made the remarks on Monday when he received the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku in his office in Lagos.
He said that unlike President Jonathan who is a true democrat, the APC candidate’s administration would be a nightmare. Kuku said that Nigerians are wiser now and would not vote for a dictator and assured that the people of the South West would support Jonathan because he is a true democrat.
His words: “Remember that few hours after he came to power, he said that all political office holders at that time should report to the nearest Police station. Some of them did not go back to their homes again as they died in detention. Some of them went blind. Some that were released following the protest of people, returned home and died.
“And that is the man who wants to come back again to rule Nigeria. We are Nigerians and Nigeria belongs to all of us. He will not rule Nigeria again. In those times, it was very easy to intimidate us but this time, nobody can intimidate us. Nigeria has changed and we now know our rights. Jonathan has taught us our rights. Jonathan is an addict to democracy. He is the kind of leader that Nigeria needs now.
“Buhari will never rule Nigeria again. I personally do not want to witness a Buhari again because eight years of his administration would be a nightmare. We do not want him. He retired about 30 years ago, what good has he done for himself. What business has he done all these years to direct the economy of Nigeria? Where is the experience?
“He said he will probe corruption and when you look around and see all those following him, you begin to wonder how he wants to fight corruption. Tell me any of those following him that is not corrupt. Let Jonathan be rest assured that this part of the country will fully support him”.
Speaking earlier, Kuku thanked Dr Fasehun for his contribution to the struggle for entrenching democracy in the nation and for supporting President Jonathan in his effort to transform the country.
He commended the spirit of consistency among people of the South West zone, urging them to support Jonathan like they did in 2011.
His words: “They said that Jonathan’s government is corrupt and we ask them, what is the meaning of corruption? How can somebody say he is coming to fight corruption and he is moving about with very corrupt people? Do you want to fight yourselves? Buhari is not corrupt but he inhales the odour of corruption.
“I do not know where he is going with these elements we see around him. Somebody was a Speaker on the platform of PDP and later became governor on the same platform for about seven years.
“That person defects to APC and he becomes a saint. Jonathan is not corrupt. Somebody has bought the whole of Lagos and has become PLC in the name of an individual who is following Buhari around and he is not corrupt.
“Under Jonathan, the EFCC has got about 65 high profile cases, prosecuted them and convicted all of them. The only problem with our administration and Jonathan has said so himself is that we are so much underpublicized.
“If Buhari and the APC people are very patriotic, your people are dying and you say you have the solution to the Boko Haram insurgency, why are you keeping it until you take over power?”
Enugu guber: Ugwuanyi’s popularity continues to soar
From PETRUS OBI, Enugu
In Enugu, it looks like a one-way traffic in the governorship contest. The choice of Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, a three-time member of the House of Representatives appear to have been a master stroke by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
From the day he was nominated as a consensus candidate, almost all other aspirants announced their decision to step down describing him as a popular and dynamic candidate who will further unite the party and move the State forward.
Like a wild fire, his nomination blazed through all the zones and local governments with various groups falling over each other to endorse his candidature.
Billboards started springing up at various corners as individuals, groups and corporate bodies took their turns to identify with a candidate who has been described as a friend of the masses.
Ugwuanyi himself who has always told those who cared to listen that he has come for the ordinary man on the street was stunned when taxi drivers in the State capital shut down and dedicated the day to their ‘governor’ embarking on a rally that almost brought the coal city on its knees.
What may appear a ‘funny’ picture of the rare band wagon support for Ugwuanyi was painted by an Enugu resident who apparently could not afford to brand his rickety vehicle with Ugwuanyi’s photograph as is the trend in Enugu. He rather decided to use a piece of carton paper to cover both vehicles number with the inscription ‘Gburugburu’ which is Ugwuanyi’s nickname.
A trader at the Coal Camp, Enugu, Mr. Udeokolo Mark told this reporter that he had never met the PDP guber candidate but decided to print car stickers in support of his campaign.
Udeokolo who mobilized his people of Mmaku to welcome Ugwuanyi when the campaign train arrived Awgu recently said he had hoped to present copies of the sticker to him. Yet, he said he is not deterred and has rather printed more copies to support his candidate.
If the nomination of Ugwuanyi received unprecedented support by Enugu people, the campaign rally by his party to present him to the people of the state turned out remarkable and somewhat emotional.
From Awgu to Aninri, Enugu East to Oji-River, Udi to Ezzeagu Local Government Isi-Uzo, Nkanu East, Nkau West and the entire 17 local government areas of the state, the people continued to troop out and has shown him love and acceptance.
Speaking during the campaign rallies, the leader of the Enugu Unity Forum, Hon. Tahill Ochi observed that the turnout has been very impressive; “that shows that he is the candidate, and he is unopposed by the way the Enugu people have accepted him. I am advising the APC guber candidate, Chief Okey Ezea; he is a man we respect, I want him to quietly extend a hand of fellowship and accept that the people want Ugwuanyi. That will be the best option for him now.
“I believe Ugwuanyi will be a team player; it’s not going to be winner takes all.
“From what you have seen too, you can see that market women, students, the NLC, workers, traders, everybody in the state have accepted Ugwuanyi as the next governor; so I don’t see why anybody should be wasting his time challenging the people.
He described the massive support as evidence that he has done well as a politician; “his past record is speaking for him now. You know he is a politician who started very well; that tells you that he has touched virtually every life and that’s why you are witnessing this massive acceptance.”
Ugwuanyi has always made out time during the tour to thank the people for the support.
He has promised to make job creation and the empowerment of youths one of the cardinal policies of his administration while consolidating on the good works of Governor Sullivan Chime.
For Ugwuanyi, Governor Chime had set a template for good governance that would be impossible to deviate from.
He has also expressed satisfaction with the location of a world class pineapple farm at Awgu which has turned Enugu State into a major exporter of the produce and pledged to ensure that the project and others established by the government in the area, were not only sustained but expanded.
He has constantly urged the people to translate their massive support into votes by ensuring that they not only collected their permanent voter cards but turned up en masse to vote for the party’s candidates in the elections.
The Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu who has always been part of the tour has lauded the leadership qualities of Governor Chime saying he has not only delivered the dividends of democracy to the people but had in Hon.Ugwuanyi, chosen a worthy and fitting successor.
“Governor Sullivan Chime has done so well in Enugu State that even though his administration will end on May 29, 2015, his leadership will continue after that date.”
He disclosed that he, along with other candidates from Enugu West district, will develop a master plan for the development of the district.
While presenting his chosen successor, Governor Chime has thanked the people for their unrelenting support for the PDP and telling that the party had not come to remind them of its agreement with them but to renew it.
He has been urging the people to ensure that they collected their PVCs so that they can vote in the elections and assured them that the party would continue to address their developmental needs.
The campaign which was rounded off at Udenu Local Government, the home of Ugwuanyi was a grand finale featuring two great musicians, Flavour and Brackets who thrilled the crowd and left them yawning for more.
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