— N/Delta apologizes for bringing bad product – Sylva
Business activities were yesterday brought to a standstill in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, as leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) visited the city amidst fanfare.
The city and its environs went agog as thousands of party supporters welcomed Chief Bisi Akande, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; former governors of Borno, Zamfara, Bayelsa, Lagos and Abia states, Senator Ali Modu Sherrif, Senator Ahmed Sani, Timipre Sylva, Sentor Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Ogbonnaya Onu respectively, alongside incumbent state governors and other senior members of the party, as well as defected senators and some members of the House of Reporesentatives.
The party chieftains were in Yola for the official inauguration of the state APC interim executive committee and also welcoming former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the main fold of the party.
The rally was also aimed at mobilising grassroots support for the party.
Traffic was virtually brought to a halt as the campaign train moved from the Yola International Airport to the heart of the city and finally to the Mahmudu Ribadu Square in Jimeta as the cheering crowd chanted party slogans, describing the APC as the party that could take the nation to greater heights.
Our correspondent observed that the rally nearly obstructed Atiku’s declaration and, owing to the magnitude of the crowd, Tinubu, Ogbeh, Yerima, Ribadu and others were unable to come out of their cars to address the rally in Yola town and when they appeared from the top of their cars to acknowledge cheers, supporters continued to praise them and surged towards the vehicles.
In his remarks, Atiku, on whose behest the rally was held following his defection from the ruling party, announced that the days of the PDP in power were numbered, saying that ousting the party was imminent as Nigerians were tired of its “reign of misrule.”
“Change is coming to Nigeria, and it is a must,” he said. “The ouster of PDP from power is imminent and only a matter of time as Nigerians are fed up with its reign of impunity, hence will send it packing come 2015.
“For the dream to come to fruition, all conscientious party faithful and Nigerians should make sure that they participate in the electoral processes by ensuring that they register during the voter registration exercise.”
He urged party faithful to ensure that they partake in the oncoming party registration exercise.
Addressing the APC supporters, Governor Nyako, Senator Sheriff and Chief Ogbeh all said the APC was the party of people of integrity and honour.
They also charged voters to desist from being influenced by money.
Speaking to the large crowd, Tinubu, said the APC was determined to save Nigeria from high level of corruption, intimidation and “oppression of liars”.
He said the APC was on a rescue mission in the country, adding that the coming of Atiku into its fold was a manifestation that the party would surely send the PDP packing come 2015.
“I welcome my friend Atiku Abubakar back home to the house which he contributed in building,” he said.
“We assure Nigerians that come 2015, we will bury the filth, the deceased ‘Poverty Development Party,’ very soon. We shall celebrate our successes so that we can rebuild Nigeria together.
“If a president is just still writing about the evaluation of basic necessity of water project for Rivers state people, tell him shame.”
The Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, thanked the people of Adamawa for their support, saying the party faithful should avail themselves with the opportunity to register with the party which would start from February 5 and should report any problem encountered during the registration exercise.
Nyako took to the stage after the presentations by the APC leaders and said that ahead of the 2015 elections, the people must be ready to defend their votes, and that he would be at the fore-front, as sacrifices would have to be made.
He said the coming of Atiku into the fold of the party had kick-started the process of finally ingraining the party in Nigeria.
“We receive our senior brother in politics who has joined us today in the funeral prayers of the PDP and we, his followers, are saying amen as we begin the process of burying the party for good,’’ he said.
The governor noted that the attendance at the rally showed that the APC was for the people, and that people were still with them.
At the rally, a former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva, said the people of the Niger Delta sent him to Adamawa state to apologize to Nigerians for bringing President Goodluck Jonathan to power, saying the latter’s leadership was a bad omen to the country.
Sylva said he regretted that their son had disappointed the nation woefully.
He said: “I was here with other governors in 2011 to pray for the North to vote for our son. I am here again on behalf of the people of the South-south to apologize to you for bringing in a bad product.
“I am here to apologize to the people of Adamawa because our son whom you voted for has not performed and the country is fast sinking under his misrule.
“Niger Delta has sent me to tell you that we are ready to join hands with you to chase out this regime of impunity promoted by our son. We will join hands with you to salvage our great country.”
Our correspondent reports that there was a mock burial of the ruling PDP.