OBJ, Yar'Adua storm Kogi tomorrow - To campaign for Idris' re-election; Election ‘ll be a walkover says Idris; It’s an empty boast - AC

From Johnson Babajide and Niyi Adebimpe - 25.03.2008

PRESIDENT Umaru Yar’Adua and former President Olusegun Obasanjo are expected in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, tomorrow at the grand finale of the campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the election coming up on Saturday.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that President Yar’Adua would be leading the national leaders of the party who include Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and other party chieftains to the state for the campaign of its gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris.

Already, the state party leaders are putting everything in order to host the president and the other PDP leaders, while all logistics to ensure the success of the rally are being put in place.

Security is being beefed up in all the strategic places in the state capital in preparation for the visit of the national leaders.

The campaign for the repeat election, according to the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is expected to close in the early hours of March 28.

The party had traversed all the federal constituencies in the state for its campaign rally while tomorrow’s rally may likely round off the campaign.

A party chieftain in the state, Dr. Tom Ohikere, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune on the phone, said that arrangements were in progress to ensure the success of the rally to be attended by the president, saying, “I can assure you that we have put everything in order to ensure the success of the rally and also the victory of the party in Saturday election.”

Meanwhile, the pre-election crisis rocking Kogi State seems to have assumed a dangerous dimension following the use of a grenade by political thugs who unleashed terror on their opponents.

The Eastern Senatorial District of the state where the weapon was reportedly used by political thugs as against sophisticated guns is fast becoming a no go area as the Saturday election is approaching.

Just last week, the acting governor, Chief Clarence Olafemi, mentioned the use of grenades in some parts of the state when the House of Assembly Committee on Police Affairs visited him in his office while in the state to assess the killing of people and destruction of property at Ogaminana, headquarters of Adavi Local Government Area.
Olafemi described the situation as alarming and which needed urgent attention from both the state and federal governments.

Also, the chairman of the local government area where a grenade attack was carried out last week, Honourable Peter Enejo, told newsmen at the weekend that some political thugs attacked the residence of a PDP chieftain at Ejule in Ofu Local Government Area with a grenade which, he said, destroyed some houses and vehicles.

He further said that the town and Ofagada had become a haven for the hoodlums, who he said, terrorised the area every night with gunshots.

Enoje appealed to the state government to urgently find a solution to the looming crisis in the area to avert any breakdown of law and order.

Meanwhile, Idris has said that his opponents at the fresh governorship election are in for a hard time as the election will be a mere walkover for him.

Idris, who said that he was ready for the election, added that he and his supporters were only engaged in a review of their past activities as the campaign for his re-election had been done through his sundry achievements in office.

“So far, so good, I am prepared now and I believe the good people of Kogi State are also prepared. In fact, if the election is going to be held today, we are prepared. All we are doing now is just glossing over what I have done before because the campaign is already done; it’s done by what I’ve done for the people. By God’s grace, it will be a walkover,” he said.

Noting that the much-touted alliance between the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Action Congress (AC) to give the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a run for its money during the fresh election in the state constituted no threat to his chances of sweeping the polls, the former governor also boasted the support of the teeming masses of the state who form the bulk of the electorate.

“I’m very sure it will be a complete sweep, they are only making noise about alliance; I don’t know what they are talking about but we are holding the ground and we have the people on our side and so, no matter the alliances they have with other parties for them to compete favourably with use, they can’t actually compete with us because we already have the people,” he said.

But in a swift reaction, the state chairman of the AC, Mr. Mike Adeleye, describe Idris’ belief of sweeping the polls as “an empty boast,” stressing that the former governor had been rattled by the alliance between his party and the ANPP.

According to Adeleye: “What do you expect him to say when the people of Kogi State have already turned against him? He had thought that the alliance would not work and now, he feels jittery.”