President Bola Tinubu has called for the conduct of free, fair, and transparent exercises in the November 11 gubernatorial elections in Imo and Bayelsa states.
He gave the charge on Thursday when he presented the official party flags to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the states, including Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Usman Ododo (Kogi), and Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa), at the presidential villa in Abuja.
“All I am pleading for is free and fair elections. I believe we will do well,” the president stated.
Tinubu was hopeful about the party’s chances of victory in the off-season elections, noting the hard work and records of the candidates, as well as the collective efforts of party officials and members of the APC National Working Committee led by the National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.
The president further said, ”I want to thank the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who is working hard to ensure a handover to our candidate, Usman Ododo. We are happy to have Hope Uzodinma, the great hope of our party and chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum. Thank you for the good job you are doing.
”Timipre Sylva, congratulations on what you have achieved as a former governor and former minister.
”We are all facing this crusade for democracy, particularly in this time of elections. It is our hope, and we have Hope Uzodinma as a candidate, that we will always come out victorious.
”I want to thank the active national leadership of our party, the NWC, and our hardworking chairman. He is doing a good job, and I thank him very much,” President Tinubu said.
The APC National Chairman commended the president for endorsing the candidates and for taking time out of his busy schedule to present the flags to them.
Speaking to correspondents after the flag presentation, Governor Uzodinma addressed the attack on the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, accusing him of being unable to distinguish his role as nation-wide labour leader and being a partisan Imo State indigene.
He said that as the chief security officer of the state, he intervened to stop the dissolution of the state chapter of the NLC, whose tenure he said had not expired.
Asked to explain why Ajaero was attacked in the state, Uzodinma stated, “But I wanted you people to be very careful because there is an attempt to mix up partisan politics or an attempt to blackmail my government, but I can tell you that my people are already aware of that.
“That was why the NLC Imo State chapter addressed a World Press Conference that what their national leadership is doing is not correct and that they are not going to do any strikes or protests. And in the process, they decided to dissolve them and put in a caretaker.
“Of course, I’m the chief security officer, and I have a responsibility to intervene. I encouraged the national leadership not to dissolve a management team because their tenure had not expired, and that was what they did.
“I don’t interfere with labour matters, but I have convinced my workers in Imo State to believe in me, and that trust is what opposition parties are trying to fight. But I can assure you that Imo people have already taken that decision. November 11 is around the corner. Come and observe the election.”
The governor, who maintained that his administration does not owe workers salaries, said that the local chapter of the NLC supports his ambition, expressing confidence that he will emerge victorious at the polls.
Also speaking to correspondents, the Kogi State APC gubernatorial candidate, Ododo, dismissed criticism about his family relationship with the incumbent Governor, Yahaya Bello, noting that the fact that they are from the same local government area is immaterial in the election.
He maintained: “On the issue of whether I’m a cousin to His Excellency, well, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello is from Kogi State; I’m from Kogi State; we hail from the same local government but different districts. We’re both from Okene local government. He is from Okene 1, and I’m from Okene II district at that.
“Even if I am his direct son, I think the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not in any way prohibit anyone from contesting for any position as far as this country is concerned.”
In his remark, Sylva said his legal tussle, which led to his disqualification to contest the Bayelsa poll before he was restored by the Appeal Court, will not affect his chances as he never stopped his campaign during the period.
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