As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gets set to conduct the off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa States, the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaiye, says he is confident of victory and has consequently urged the electorate not to be intimidated.
In recent times, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) has been rallying its members to believe in the party’s ability to bounce back to its formidable winning ways, becoming as relevant as it was when it held sway for 16 years in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Rising from a meeting with stakeholders from the three senatorial zones of the party in Kogi State, the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Dino Melaye, expressed confidence that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would win the election, alleging that mismanagement of the state resources by Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has made life difficult for the people.
“We have never had it so bad in the history of Kogi State. I want to assure you that by the grace of God, with the resolutions of this meeting, with the strategy adopted in this meeting, PDP is good to go in Kogi State.
“Be prepared to vote in the PDP. Do not be intimidated by the APC, by the threat and violence. The humiliation by the APC should not deter you from exercising your democratic rights. I want to assure you that we will protect our people,” said Melaye.
The acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum, said the prospects of winning the Kogi State governorship election are clear, and their meeting is to ensure all stakeholders are united to face the challenges ahead and be reconciled before the election.
“This reconciliation will take three stages: from the ward, local government and state. I am glad most of the senior stakeholders are here, and they are supposed to anchor that reconciliation. Because we are from outside the state, we can only encourage you to work on the reconciliation,” said the party’s national chairman.
Damagum announced that the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who is the chairman of the Kogi Campaign Committee, has promised to go to each zone to discuss with all stakeholders and campaign in all places to secure victory for the party more so that Governor Adeleke is alive to this responsibility in Kogi.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed 11th November 2023 for the off-season guber election.
In the meantime, the National Working Committee of the PDP has constituted a special national media/publicity team for the Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa States governorship election.
The special team, headed by the national publicity secretary, is to liaise with the various campaign councils and committees for the elections to ensure effective media and publicity actions for the party’s victory.
In a press release announcing the constitution of the team, the chairman, Debo Ologunagba, said the 12-member committee which has Richard Ihediwa as secretary and Ibu Thomas as Tech/ICT assistant, is pursuant to Section 40 (1) (a), (b) and (c) of the PDP constitution (as amended in 2017).
“The PDP charges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of the party in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa States to continue to work hard to ensure the victory of the party in the elections,” Ologunagba added.
