***You are a drowning party – PDP
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
As part of the backlash from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign train to Kogi on Saturday, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has avouched that the PDP no longer has a place in the state as the people have rejected it.
Kingsley Femi Fanwo, Director Media and Publicity, Kogi State APC Campaign Council who disclosed this during a press conference on Monday in Lokoja said the attitude of the people was eloquent testimony of their aversion to the PDP.
He said that the PDP rolled out expired individuals who had been expunged from the ranks of the APC for their unsavory deeds and characters and proceeded to canonise them.
He said, “The rally turned into a farce when people like the former Deputy Governor of the State, Elder Simeon Achuba and the former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Alfa Imam were repackaged for Atiku as Kogi APC stalwarts who were decamping to the PDP at the rally.
“What Atiku and his entourage might not have known is that this is the same Achuba who was impeached from office with ignominy by the state assembly for gross misconduct during the first term of the administration.
“Rt Hon. Alfa Imam is another person whose poor leadership pitched him in a running battle with his colleagues when he was Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
“We won the 2019 landslide without them. Since then, the two men have failed in their political self-delusions and have continued to fail.
Fanwo described as lies, the pronouncement of the PDP Presidential candidate that every infrastructure that had the semblance of modernity in the state was the handiwork of former PDP governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris.
He described it as figment of “the speakers’ fevered imaginations, it is a national embarrassment to the PDP that they failed Kogi people so woefully despite having so long to make a difference.”
He also described as “illusion of the decade”, the optimism expressed by the PDP flagbearer that he would win the 2023 presidential, saying he will be resoundingly defeated by the Presidential Candidate of the APC.
He alleged that the tumultuous crowd witnessed at the PDP Presidential Campaign Train was hired from seven states to expurgate the party’s image having “woefully failed” in the 13 years it reign in the state.
“What is not in doubt is that the Yahaya Bello-led APC administration has changed the face of Kogi State with numerous legacy projects executed, some of which were recently commissioned by Mr President.
“We are on course to deliver Kogi State massively for the All Progressives Congress and maintain the legacy of the party in the state under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello.
Responding on behalf of the PDP, Mr Austin Ochu, Head, Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), described the allegations of APC as the noise of a drowning party.
“The insinuation that we hired people from seven states is very strange and laughable because we have never for once engaged in such a merchandise.”
“By that press conference, APC is definitely threatened and jittery that the game is over for them as the people spoke last Saturday that they desperately desire a change. And the time for that change is now.
“Traditionally, Kogi is a PDP State, we only faulted along the way but thank God we have gone back to the trenches and ready to make amend and take over the state this time around for the interest and good of our people.
“In fact, APC members are now going out, flabbing around, not knowing what to do as the difference and message is now very clear that the game is over for them”, he said.
