As a result of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifting its ban on campaigning for the presidency, the majority of the country’s 18 political parties will not launch their respective presidential campaigns today, despite widespread anticipation to the contrary.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the largest party in the opposition, will be inaugurating its campaign council today. The other 17 parties, however, have not yet completed the process of organizing the members of their presidential campaign teams.
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which made an announcement about a 422-man council the previous weekend, yesterday postponed the kick-off of its campaign that had been earlier scheduled for today in order to enable it to adjust and expand the council. This decision was made in response to complaints from critical stakeholders.
Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, the candidate for president of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said that he will kick off his “Rescue Mission” campaign on October 6 with a huge rally in Kogi, which is located in the North-Central region of the country.
The next day, he will host a campaign rally in Nasarawa. Other events are scheduled to take place between October 7 and November 17 in the states of Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kwara, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi.
READ ALSO: India: Nigerian Man Reportedly Detained In Prison For 9 Years Without Trial
After that, he would extend his campaign to the following locations between November 21 and December 18: Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Edo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Delta.
The SDP is now holding peace talks in Lagos.
On the other hand, the Social Democratic Party, often known as the SDP, will convene a meeting in Lagos in an effort to bring together dissident elements inside the party.
Before the presidential primaries, the party was fractured along factional lines, which led to the emergence of two contenders for the presidency: Prince Adewole Adebayo and Senator Ebenezer Ikeyina. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced Adebayo’s name as the candidate of the party.
According to the leaders of the party, who spoke with the Vanguard, they were delaying the announcement of a campaign council so that they could first try to mend fences with other leaders and members.
A source within the party has stated that the purpose of today’s meeting in Ikeja, Lagos, is to work toward achieving the much-desired reconciliation.
Why the APC decided to delay the start of the campaign for an indeterminate amount of time – Lalong
Mr. Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau State and Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, stated that the timetable and schedule of activities will be adjusted in order to accommodate the growing interest shown by a variety of political tendencies in being a part of the campaign council. This interest has been shown to be growing.
In a statement, he indicated that an updated time for the beginning of the event will be provided in the coming days.
The following is an excerpt from the statement that was issued: “Recall that we had originally scheduled a peace walk and prayers for Wednesday, September 28, 2022, in order to officially kick off our campaigns for the 2023 presidential election.
In addition, we had stated that the members of the Campaign Council would be collecting their letters of appointment from the Campaign Headquarters on that day.
“However, due to the expansion of the list to accommodate more stakeholders and interests within the APC family, we have decided to adjust the timetable of these activities in order to ensure that everyone is on board before activities officially begin. This decision was made because the list needed to accommodate more stakeholders and interests within the APC family. As a direct result of this, the events that were initially planned to take place on September 28 will not take place.
“As the party that now has power in Nigeria and is widely regarded as the most appealing option for voters, we are well aware of the sacrifices made by our numerous members, all of whom are more than eager to offer themselves as volunteers for the enormous undertaking that lies in wait. It also demonstrates the immense passion that party members have for our candidates.
“A fresh date and timeline for the activities will be shared in the coming days.”
The PDP is going to start their campaign council today.
On the other hand, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will be inaugurating its campaign council today, and the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) has invited all of the PDP’s previous presidents, vice presidents, serving and former governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, and members of its Board of Trustees to participate in the event, which will take place at the International Conference Center in Abuja.
The invitation was signed by Mr. Umar Mohammed Bature, who serves as the National Organizing Secretary for the party.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan was the last person elected by the People’s Democratic Party to hold the post of President. The party’s unbroken 16-year reign at the helm came to an end in 2015 when he was defeated by the APC. A list of the party’s 520 members of the council was distributed one week ago by the party.
My win is an important step toward Igbo Presidency — Atiku.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate for president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), made the request yesterday, stating that his win in 2023 would be a stepping stone toward an Igbo presidency and urging voters in the South-East to support him.
Atiku talked to the leaders and stakeholders of the South East while he was in Enugu as part of his consultation and sensitization before the start of the campaign. This took place before the campaign officially began.
I am the stepping stone that will lead Ndigbo to become the President of Nigeria. “Give me your support to win the presidential election in 2023,” he added, adding that he would prioritize development projects in the South-East and other zones of the country if he were elected president.
Atiku has stated that any project that is allowed to be situated in any state of the federation is not a favor to that state but rather a favor to Nigeria as a whole.
It is not a favor to the South-East that the Second Niger Bridge is being built at Onitsha; rather, it is or should be considered as a favor to the nation of Nigeria. This is due to the fact that he stated that the people of the South East will not be the only ones using the bridge.
On his relationship with the Igbo, the former Vice President stated that he had a close relationship with the Igbo, which influenced his choices of Senator Ben Obi and Peter Obi as his running mates in his two previous outings as a presidential candidate. He also stated that he has chosen another Igbo (Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State) for the third time as his running mate. Ifeanyi Okowa is currently the governor of Delta State
Atiku said in front of the crowd, “I have three Igbo children and I am announcing this for the first first time in public.”
Atiku outlined five key focuses that his government will prioritize if elected, including addressing the nation’s pervasive problems in the areas of economics, national security, and other areas of concern.
He stated that the restoration of Nigeria’s unity via collaboration would be his first priority, followed by the establishment of a powerful and efficient administration that would ensure the protection of people’s lives as well as their possessions.
READ ALSO: NSCDC presents five suspects, vows to smoke out oil thieves from their hideout
Atiku pledged to construct a robust, resilient, and successful economy that will generate employment and pull people out of poverty. A real federal system, which will offer a strong federal government to build national unity while enabling the federating units to choose their own priorities such as state police, was another of his campaign pledges. He also committed to advocating for the implementation of such a system.
Ifeanyi Okowa, who is standing as a vice presidential candidate with Atiku Abubakar, also gave a speech. In it, he bemoaned the fact that Nigeria has never been more divided and polarized as it is now under the leadership of the APC.
Okowa stated that the PDP administration, which would be led by an experienced politician such as Atiku Abubakar, is the only answer to the current state of insecurity in Nigeria as well as the other difficulties that the country is now experiencing.
The head of the Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, stated that they will work to organize votes for the PDP in order for them to win the presidential election.
Attendees in the meeting were Senator Iyorchia Ayu, Acting Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Senator Adolphus Wabara, Governor of Enugu State; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The LP has said that they are prepared for the next elections, but they have remained silent on council membership.
READ ALSO: Osun govt dismisses teacher for allegedly defrauding job seekers
Yesterday, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Julius Abure, said that the party is prepared for the campaigns for the general elections that will take place in 2023. This announcement came only a few hours before the formal start of the campaign season.
His comment was made during a time when the party has not yet disclosed the names of the individuals who would serve on its campaign council.
Abure stated that the party is completely ready to begin its campaigning on September 28, in accordance with the timeframe that was provided by INEC.
He praised the electoral umpire for its position on incumbent political office holders who use the power of incumbency to deny opposition parties access to public facilities for campaigning.
READ ALSO: Breaking: Strike: Court dismisses NANS’ lawsuit against ASUU, FG
This action, which the Commission said was illegal and would attract sanctions as outlined in the Electoral Act 2022, was a violation of the law, and he commended the electoral umpire for its stance on the issue.
According to Abure, “The attitude of INEC is pertinent in light of the recent attacks on the supporters of Labour Party candidates across the country, notably in Ebonyi, Enugu, Katsina, and Kaduna, among other places.”
“It is a fact that the popularity and influence of the Labour Party recently have been astonishing, wherein it has witnessed exponential and geometric growth across the states.
The fear factor that is being expressed by the other political parties, which has pushed them into resorting to obstructing and in some cases manhandling of otherwise, Labour party supporters who have been embarking on peaceful rallies, is a threat to our democracy. “It is a fact that the popularity and influence of the Labour Party recently has been astonishing,
“We grasp this occasion to urge the existing political office holders to guarantee that the political landscape is demilitarized and that an equal playing field is provided for all political activity,” the statement reads. This will guarantee that the individuals they choose to represent them at whatever level have their decision recognized, which is a positive outcome.
“As a political party, we made a commitment to the people of Nigeria that our campaign would be issue-oriented. We have also cleaned up our own act, and we will be putting together a powerful team that will be in charge of the campaign and that will provide power to the people who are the rightful owners of it.