The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Saturday said the subterranean plot by the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government to postpone the 2015 General Elections is a futile attempt to postpone the evil day.
Speaking at the Palace of the Otaru of Igarra when he presented the candidates of the All Progressive Congress [APC] vying to represent the party at both the Federal and State legislatives chambers, Mr. Oshiomhole said, “The issues are very clear. They have seen it and are now calling for the postponement of the February 14 elections. You cannot postpone the evil day. Nigeria must go for a peaceful election and the election will be peaceful. When God has decreed, no man can do otherwise, when your time is up you can’t postpone it.
“What we need now is a leader with courage. The courage to stand for Nigeria and that is why after trying PDP for 16 years, we believe we need General Muhammadu Buhari to take over and secure our country so we can live our life”.
The governor continued: “When General Buhari was in power, the war against indiscipline was felt everywhere. Nigerians have to make a very bold decision; we must make Nigeria work. When General Buhari was a Commanding Officer in the Military and some extremists rose up around Kano, he led a squad and pursued them as far as Chad.
“Those are the kind of leaders we need now. Leaders that will confront issues of security squarely, not to lament. Leaders don’t lament. You don’t change your wife’s condition by joining her to cry; wife is crying, husband is crying, children are crying, who then will fix the issues? A man has to come out, this election is about our survival”.
Mr. Oshiomhole decried the present security challenges facing the nation and accused the PDP government of gross incompetence and lacking in vision to steer the nation to safety.
He said, “We now have Nigerians who are refugees in their own land. So even to secure the territorial integrity of Nigeria, PDP has shown gross incompetence and today insurgents are controlling a number of our Local Governments. So the issues this year is about our survival.
“I think the President needs to agree that he failed Nigeria and we cannot give him our key anymore. He needs to go back home so we can try another driver. We don’t want him to crash the vehicle because I am a passenger in that vehicle and you are also passengers in that vehicle. Better to remove one driver so that the passengers can remain on the road.
Governor Oshiomhole, while highlighting the many sins of the PDP, urged the people to put into cognisance the decay the PDP-led Federal Government has plunged the nation into in the past 16 years.
He said, “You must always remember where we are coming from. For us to make good use of our tomorrow, we must interrogate our yesterday. A country that was the pride of Africa. A country that was in the front line in the fight against apartheid and discrimination has today been reduced to a laughing stock among the comity of nations even by African standard.
“If PDP remains in power, the people will never have power. A vote for PDP will mean a vote for backwardness. They deserve to be punished for 16 years of gross mismanagement of our national assets”, he said.
The governor, however, assured the people of Afemai land that his administration would continue to embark on projects and programmes aimed at bringing development to the people and urged them to ensure they collect their Permanent Voters Card, PVC to vote en mass for all APC candidates.
He told the people of Afemai that the party parades the best and competent individuals at all levels who have the will power, the courage and integrity to effectively represent them and bring meaningful representation to them.
He presented Francis Alimikhena for Senate, Peter Akpatasson, Kabiru Adjoto and Emmanuel Agbaje for the House of Assembly.
Responding, the Otaru of Igarra, Adeche Saiki 11 assured Mr. Oshiomhole and the APC candidate of the support of people of his kingdom, saying they are not tired of the leadership provided by the governor. He said no previous governor had performed up to his standard in the state.
He said he was sure that the governor would present the best candidates that would work for the people.
Some defecting PDP chieftains in the area where later received into the fold of the APC.
