2nd October, 2012
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of Action Congress of Nigeria said on Tuesday that an ACN government would cater more for the people of Ondo State if the party wins the 20 October governorship election.
Tinubu made the promise in Ikare Akoko at the Mega Rally of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for the poll.
He told the crowd that the wind of change blowing across the South- West zone would come to the state “if ACN wins the governorship” election.
Tinubu said the regional integration of the zone would not be complete without Ondo State and called on the people to vote for the ACN candidate, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, to be part of that development.
He promised that the tomato factory in Ikare would be sustained and made to produce at optimum capacity.
He also said that an ACN government would accord priority attention to physically challenged people by turning “their disability to ability”.
Tinubu explained that a programme would be put in place to accommodate the physically challenged to make them self-reliant.
He assured the people that an Akeredolu-led government would give the desired respect to traditional rulers in the state and involve them in governance, if elected.
Tinubu said traditional rulers would be made to function well, particularly in the area of security of their communities as well as community development.
He promised that all moribund factories in the state would be resuscitated to create jobs for unemployed youths.
Tinubu commended women in the state for their steadfastness and assured them that an ACN government would work out better packages to uplift their wellbeing.
He advised the electorate not to fold their ballot papers during voting to avoid rendering their ballot void.
Tinubu also urged them to make their votes count on election day.
A former governor of Ogun state, Chief Segun Osoba, appealed to the people to vote massively for ACN “so that Ondo State may be returned to the main fold of Western politics.”
The Osun Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, described the ACN governorship candidate as one of the best brains in the state.
He said the people were lucky to have Akeredolu as governorship candidate in the poll.
Also speaking at a prayer session in Akure, Lagos state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola urged the people of Ondo State to embrace the wind of change now sweeping through all the states being controlled by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Addressing a huge crowd at the gathering, Governor Fashola declared, “The wind of change, the wind of progress, of youth empowerment, of women empowerment and job creation is spreading through all the Action Congress of Nigeria controlled States. From Lagos to Ekiti, to Osun to Edo to Ogun to Oyo, all of the things they said were impossible are now happening”.
“I hear the cries of youth unemployment; I hear anticipation for liberation from poverty. It is 20 days away and it is in your hands to continue with what you have or vote for ACN”, the Governor urged adding, “A choice for ACN is a choice for prosperity, a choice to revive the Okitipupa Oil Palm Mill, a choice to revive the Oluwa Glass Industry, a choice to recreate the glory of the cocoa farmers, a choice to create an industrial base that will make chocolate from cocoa in Ondo State”.
Speaking of the Party’s candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), Governor Fashola, who said he has known the former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President for a long time as a professional, declared, “All you see happening in Lagos today and other ACN controlled States will begin to happen in your state if you give our candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu the chance to govern here”.
“He is a most dependable ally. When Rotimi Akeredolu is in your corner, you need not fear. When he takes up any task on your behalf, be sure he will do it with all his heart and with all his might. I have worked side by side with this man before and I know the qualities and the character he is made of”, the Governor said.
In Akure, the Ondo state capital, the Peoples Democratic Party held another rally to sell its candidate, Olusola Oke to the voters.
Vice-President Namadi Sambo who spoke at the rally said that the Federal Government would continue to ensure free and fair elections in the country.
“We will provide adequate security for all of you; so go out and cast your votes without fear of any intimidation,’’ he said.
Sambo, who expressed satisfaction with the large turn-out of party members and supporters, urged them to ensure that they delivered their wards, council areas and state to the PDP.
“From what I have seen today, I just have to thank everybody for your support to our governorship candidate, Olusola Oke, his deputy, Saka Lawal and our great party, PDP.“We will come back to celebrate and march to the Government House, Akure, we want free election, election without rancour,’’ Sambo said.
The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, called on aggrieved members of the PDP to return to the party.
The National Secretary of the party, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, also called on the people of the state to vote for Oke as their governor, while the Minister of Police Affairs, retired Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, gave an assurance that adequate security measures would be provided in the state during the poll.
Oke, in his address, promised to create jobs by establishing industries, saying this would make the economy of the state to be viable.
The Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Mobolaji Johnson, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, former Minister of Housing, Mrs Mobolaji Osomo, as well as members of the National Working Committee and other party leaders attended the rally.
Meanwhile the campaign organisation of the incumbent, Olusegun Mimiko, said resounding failure at the October 20 governorship election awaits both the candidates of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the state.
The Mimiko Campaign Organisation (MCO) warned that no amount of mega rallies; bad mouthing and grandstanding against the candidature and person of Dr Olusegun Mimiko of the ruling Labour Party (LP) could sway the people of the State into voting for them.
MCO in its reaction to the mega rallies held on Tuesday by the ACN and PDP in Ikare Akoko and Akure respectively regretted that it was sad that parties which are laying claim to the State could not even mobilise their members but had to rent and import people from neighbouring States in order to create a semblance of being popular.
It however thanked the Vice President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo for reiterating the Federal Government’s resolve to ensure a free and fair election in the State.
According to the MCO’s Director of Publicity and Media Relations, Mr Kolawole Olabisi, the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State would be on the basis of one man one vote and no matter the level of desperation from the opposition parties would make them change a performing governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.
Says Olabisi: “Even nature rejects the PDP and ACN as the heavens opened up and disrupted their rallies at Akure and Ikare simultaneously, a pointer to the fact that God does not side with the haughty.