The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) says it is certain of winning the November 11 off-season governorship election in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States, going by the level of its acceptability by the people.
Umar Damagum, the acting National Chairman of the PDP, stated this in Abuja at the inauguration of the party’s National Campaign Council for the election in the three States.
Damagum charged members of the council to work within the ambit of the law to win the States, which he described as PDP strongholds.
“We don’t expect less from you because before you were selected. You were found very capable, and we expect nothing other than victory.
“You are going in at a time whereby the country, as it is, everybody is feeling the burden of the mistakes that have happened in this country.
“What is expected of you is go there and remind them that this is not what we bargained for, and that there is a time God, in his infinite mercy, always gives us to change the course of history, and this is the time.
“We will have Bayelsa; we will have Imo, and we will have Kogi. These are PDP States. Somehow, they slipped away, but Bayelsa has always had a PDP governor.
“I want to challenge everyone in this country to look at the States governed by PDP governors viz-a-viz the other parties. We have always excelled.
“To you that are going to Kogi and Imo States: remind them that it has not been like that before they made mistakes.
“There are time and opportunity to change, and there’s no better time than now,” said Damagum.
Speaking, Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and the chairman of the Kogi campaign team also expressed confidence in the party’s ability to win the election in the three States.
“The chances of the PDP in the three States are very great because we are bringing light all the way, and you know when light comes, darkness vanishes,” Adeleke said
For his part, Gov. Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State said that the people of the State had resolved to re-elect the PDP in the governorship poll:
“PDP is very sure of victory in Bayelsa. We don’t have any internal crisis in the PDP in Bayelsa and we are well organized.
“We have more members of the opposition coming into PDP in Bayelsa. Bayelsa PDP is very strong, vibrant and poised to win the election.
“Bayelsa people have resolved unanimously that PDP, as exemplified by me, don’t need to change players in a winning team. Bayelsa people are very resolute about that.”
The PDP candidate for Imo State, Mr Sam Anyanwu, expressed confidence that the PDP would reclaim the State.
“Imo is traditionally a PDP State. What you have there now is a product of the court. I am back to reclaim the mandate of the PDP,” Anyanwu said.
Also, Mr Dino Melaye, the PDP Kogi governorship candidate, said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would become history in the State after the November poll.
“I just want to announce that as far as this election is concerned in Kogi, APC is history. APC has gone into oblivion. PDP is the party to beat in Kogi,” he said.
NAN