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Campaign Council of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP in Delta State has called on its supporters, faithful and members to turn out en mass and give rousing welcome to the National Campaign train when it lands in Asaba, the state capital on Tuesday, January 24^th, 2023.

State Director of campaigns, Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon made the call while addressing a press conference on Wednesday to intimate the people of the state about the positive developments that the campaign committee has had so far having successfully visited all the 270 wards in the state as well as 23 local governments out of the 25 in the state. ”Bomadi and Warri North Local Governments which are yet to be visited would be covered in due course,” he said.

Rt. Hon. Solomon said the grassroots campaigns was necessary because it afforded PDP the opportunity to go back to the people who appreciated the value added to the state by the various administrations of Chief James Onanefe Ibori, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan and the Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa administration.

He said: “Our mission was to go to the people to ask them to renew our mandate because no one changes a winning team. We needed to reach the grassroots with our message of Rescue, Reset and Rebuild Nigeria as well as advancing Delta.

“I dare to say that the messages were well delivered to our teeming supporters who now look up earnestly to vote for PDP and all its candidates from the presidential, Senate, House of Representatives to the Governorship and House of Assembly candidates.”

Solomon said the people through the enthusiastic reception given to the PDP campaign train understood that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government had failed this country.

Pointing out that the failed APC federal Government came to power on the mere promises because it had no party manifesto, Rt. Hon Solomon, listed 16 item areas in which the APC government failed to fulfill promises it made to Nigerians in 2015. According to him, the APC in their promises which they failed to fulfill said in 2015:

• To reduce fuel pump price to N45 per litre in the first year of our administration.
• We will provide free education at all levels.
• We will pay N5,000 each to 25 million jobless Nigerians every month.
• Expand electricity generation to 40,000 mega watts.
• Increase minimum wage to Nigerian workers.
• Stabilize global oil prices at $100 per barrel.
• To place every graduate on allowances after their youth service until they find employment.
• Provide free school feeding including fruits daily for all public primary school pupils.
• Revive oil refineries within one (1) year in office.
• Crush Boko Haram and end insurgency in the first 3 months in office, and bring back all missing girls in their captivity.
• No Nigerian will go outside the country for medical treatment.
• Build one refinery every year in the first 4 years of the administration.
• Create 3,000,000 (3 million) jobs every year.
• Stop importation of refined petroleum products in the first year of administration.
• Wipe out corruption in the first year of the administration.
• All refineries will be working at 100% full capacity.

Solomon said from the foregoing that it is clear that APC is a fraud having come to power through promises they made but failed to fulfill.

While also commending the media for partnering with the Campaign Council with their reportage and creating awareness of the campaign events, he announced that the Vice Presidential candidate of PDP who is also Governor of Delta, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa was also always at the local government campaigns. He said: “As we salute PDP faithful and supporters in Delta State, it is important to call their attention to the issues raised by our leader, Governor Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa , especially as Nigeria contends with unabating insecurity, rising hunger and poverty, an economy plagued with huge debts, prostrate education, acutely exemplified by long closure of tertiary institutions, the abysmal state of Federal Roads across the country, and the scuttling of the structure of unity of this nation.”

Find below full text of Rt. Hon. Solomon’s Press Conference speech.

PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CAMPAIGNS, RT. HON. FUNKEKEME SOLOMON, AT THE DELTA PDP CAMPAIGN SECRETARIAT, ANWAI ROAD, ASABA, ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18TH, 2023.

PROTOCOL

Gentlemen of the Press,

It is my pleasure once again to welcome you all to this Press Conference, the first in the Year 2023, and to wish you all a Happy New Year. This Press Conference is called to intimate you about the positive developments that the Peoples Democratic Party’s Campaign Committee has had so far.

2. As you are already aware, the party about two months ago successfully visited all the 270 Wards in this State in our endeavour to reach the grassroots with our message of Rescue, Reset and Rebuild Nigeria as well as advancing Delta. And I dare to say that the messages were well-delivered to our teeming supporters who now look up earnestly to vote for the PDP and all its candidates from the Presidential, Senate, House of Representatives; to the Governorship and House of Assembly candidates.
3. Shortly after, the Campaign Committee again embarked on the Local Government campaigns traversing the Local Government Areas. So far, a total of 23 Local Government Areas of the State have been reached with the message of hope for Nigeria and Delta State. The remaining two Local Government Areas will be covered in due course before long.
4. We give praise, glory, and thanks to God Almighty whose guidance and protection remained with us all through the onerous, almost daily travels of crisscrossing the Local Government Areas. We also thank you, Gentlemen of the Press, for partnering with us through your various reportage and creating awareness of our campaign events in your various media organs of radio, television, newspaper, and the online genres of news dissemination. We greatly appreciate your partnership on your call to duty. It will interest you to know that the joy displayed by party faithful, members, and supporters on each of our campaign visits was not just overwhelming but palpable; it was an atmosphere of peace and warm reception all the way with a massive turnout of people at the campaign grounds.
5. The Vice-Presidential Candidate of our party and Governor of Delta State, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, our leader, was with us all through the Local Government Area campaigns, during which the people showed love for the PDP and expressed great enthusiasm and strong assurance and conviction to vote for all the candidates of the PDP. The people indeed showed great interest and were excited in the fact that a Deltan, Governor Okowa, emerging as Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will be to the advantage of Delta State, and they assured that Deltans will not allow this opportunity to slip past. Thus, they expressed determination to ensure that every vote counts for the PDP. Party chieftains in each Local Government displayed uncommon loyalty and support for the PDP and went the extra mile to net in decampees from other political parties to the PDP. Their devotion and dedication to the cause of the PDP clearly confirmed the PDP position that Delta is synonymous with PDP.
6. As we salute PDP faithful and supporters in Delta State, it is important to call their attention to the key issues raised by our leader, Governor, and Vice-Presidential candidate, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, especially as Nigeria contends with unabating insecurity, rising hunger, and poverty, an economy plagued with huge debts, prostrate education, acutely exemplified by long closure of tertiary institutions, the abysmal state of Federal roads across the country, and the scuttling of the structure of unity of this nation. Never has Nigeria been so disunited and fractured. The APC-led Federal Government has done more to divide Nigerians than unite us in addition to the biting poverty. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, over 133 million Nigerians are poverty-stricken.
7. Like the PDP Vice-Presidential candidate said, “APC has plunged Nigeria and its citizens into severe hardship from which the country needs to be rescued, reset, and rebuilt from the ashes of the APC misrule. And for that to happen, we of the Delta campaign Council join him in strongly calling on all Nigerians, nay all Deltans to Vote Atiku Abubakar for President and Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for Governor of Delta State. Indeed, Atiku Abubakar truly illustrates the model example of the President that Nigeria needs now; he is detribalized, cosmopolitan, a unifying figure, a successful businessman, and a pan-Nigerian. As former Vice-President, his management of the economy was exceptionally good, far better than what is currently experienced under this crushing APC-led Federal Government and Nigerians stand to gain from his wealth of experience. Of course, as his running mate, our leader, Governor Okowa also possesses the requisite knowledge and experience to help him with the task of building the Nigeria of our dreams.
8. The Delta PDP Campaign Committee has said times without numbers why the APC-led Federal Government MUST go. APC has deceived Nigerians enough with its maladministration of the country in all areas. Therefore, Nigerians have rejected as unthoughtful the decision to field “Alhaji” Bola Tinubu, whose physical ability and mental state of mind is in question; the one on whose neck hangs the yoke of unanswered questions about his age, parentage, State of origin and the well-known baggage of his drug baron status remains an insult to the intelligence and sensibilities of Nigerians. Bola Tinubu on account of this lacks all indices of a fit and proper person to be voted as President of Nigeria. To vote in such a man is to turn Nigeria into an illicit drug headquarters of the world. God forbid. His candidacy is indefensible, by any standard.
9. This is why Nigerians should embrace and vote for PDP’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar who is in a better stead to rescue and restore Nigeria from the suffocating grip of the APC. Let me conclude this by repeating the question raised by Atiku to Nigerians – “Can APC recover Nigeria from itself?” Of course, the answer is NO, because Voting for the APC in the next election is a vote for a continuation of the current state of gloom, and Nigerians cannot afford to make that mistake. it is important to re-emphasize the following truths:

(a). PDP built this country from 1999 to 2015 when APC deceptively took over power.

(b). APC destroyed Nigeria from 2015 to 2023 and therefore has no moral basis to ask for another tenure from Nigerians.

(c). Only the PDP can rescue this country and reset it on the path of abundance, stability, and prosperity.

10. We urge all Deltans to also vote massively for our Governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Elder Sheriff Francis Oborevwori – a grassroots politician, who dwells with the people and knows where the shoe is pinching them. His M.O.R.E Agenda has a comprehensive and well-articulated package for Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security for Delta State.

This is our charge to Deltans and Nigerians in general, Vote for PDP candidates all-the-way

11. It is also important for us to inform the generality of Deltans and persons living in Delta State that Tuesday, January 24, 2023 has been declared PDP Day. It is the day the National Campaign entourage of the PDP led by the Presidential Candidate and the National Chairman, as well as the National campaign leaders of the party will hit Delta State, and it will hold inside the Main Bowl of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Nnebisi Road, Asaba. The time is 9 a.m. Already, mobilization effort has gone ahead in all the nooks and crannies of the State to get faithful members and supporters of the party to massively be in attendance at the rally that promises to be the Mother of all rallies.
12. I enjoin you, Gentlemen of the Press, to help to bring the awareness of the January 24, 2023 PDP Day through your various mediums to everyone in the State.
13. May I also use this opportunity to cordially and respectfully invite you all, my colleagues to the rally and give it the widest publicity before, during, and after the event.
14. Thank you all for your attention.

 

Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon,

Director of Campaigns,

Delta PDP Campaign Council

18th January, 2023