By Ayoni M. Agbabiaka
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has vowed to capture the six area councils in the territory, including Gwagwalada area council, one of the strongholds of the All Progressives Congress (APC) since 1999.
The party made the statement when it stormed Gwagwalada and Kuje area councils to canvass for votes in the forthcoming general elections, just as it tasked residents on the collection of their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
Addressing a mammoth crowd in Gwagwalada, Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, noted the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan in the territory and assured party’s supporters that more would be achieved if given the mandate for a second term.
The FCT Minister, who took time out to showcase the numerous achievements of President Jonathan’s administration in the area of agriculture, infrastructure development, railway, satellite towns’ development, and resettlement policy of indigenous people of FCT, also challenged the opposition to fault those claims by the PDP.
He said: “We are here in Gwagwalada to engage the opposition on issue based campaign and not canvassing for votes on religious and ethnic sentiments. Gwagwalada area council has been dominated by the opposition but there is nothing to show for it except the roads constructed by federal government and the Federal Capital Development Authority. We challenge them to show us what they have done with their allocations.”
Mohammed called on the residents not to cast their votes on the basis of religion or ethnicity, stressing that a Christian from another region appointed him as FCT Minister.
“You know my political history of how I became FCT minister.
President Goodluck Jonathan did not know me from anywhere. We are not from the same region or religious background. We did not even belong to the same political party, but he appointed me as minister irrespective of our differences. That is what democracy entails and that is the kind of leadership we need in Nigeria. We don’t need a leader that will divide Nigeria along ethnic and religious line.”
While in Kuje, the minister called on registered voters to collect their PVCs as the only basis to exercise their civic responsibility, pointing out that Kuje has been the home base of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He said: “Come February 14, residents of Kuje will come out en mass to vote massively for President Goodluck Jonathan. They will also vote massively for Senator Philip Aduda, Hon. Zephaniah Jisalo and Hon. Danladi Zhin for Senate and House of Representatives, respectively. You have done it before and I trust you will do it again. The mammoth crowd we have here today is a clear testimony of your support.”
In an interview with journalists, the former FCT secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. John Bako, assured the party’s candidates that PDP would continue to dominate the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), even as he promised that the party would surpass previous elections.
He said: “We are calling on our numerous supporters to come and vote.
We have no doubt that the party will come out victorious in all the six area councils of the territory. We have a record of success in previous elections and we are going to improve on the success even in areas where the opposition is thriving. Our candidates will soon sing victory songs.”
