From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has described the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, as the most experienced among the contenders in the 2023 presidential elections.
Okowa, who is Atiku’s running mate, said that the presidential candidate has done well for the people of the South East, South-South and South West to deserve their votes in 2023.
Speaking while addressing the PDP faithful at a mega rally on Saturday at Ozoro, the Edo governor affirmed that PDP remained the only party that could return Nigeria to better days, adding that the party was on a rescue mission.
He said the recent victory of the party in the Osun governorship election was the beginning of the revolution to rescue Nigeria and to return us to the path of growth.
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Okowa said Nigeria needed a man with distinction and calm with a lot of experience like Atiku to turn things around for good.
“And, if you look at it very well, only one man fits the bill and that’s why we are talking about the ‘Atikulate Revolution’.
“I heard some people saying that PDP is dying in Delta State and I wonder why they are deceiving themselves.
“We are not boasting but on the day of the election, our people will come out and vote and in the next election we are going to win all available seats – from the Assembly to the Presidential,” he boasted.
Chairman of PDP in the state, Kingsley Esiso, said the primary purpose of the rally was to receive defectors from other parties.
He said that Nigerians could no longer tolerate a party that had divided Nigeria along ethnic, religious and regional lines.
“People are hungry and angry, and in the midst of that, APC showed its desperation and insensitivity by coming up with a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“In Northern Nigeria, Christians constitute no fewer than 40 per cent of the population, yet APC said they couldn’t find a Christian to be the vice presidential candidate.
“Nigerians will not answer them, we will wait till 2023 and answer them with our votes using our PVCs.
“Our people have seen with their eyes what Governor Okowa has done in Delta,” he said.
On the governorship tussle in the state, Esiso urged party faithful to remain calm, adding that INEC had asked stakeholders to maintain calm until the entire court processes were exhausted.