Ahead of the September 19 governorship poll, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has donated his 150 support groups to Governor Godwin Obaseki’s governorship campaign organisation in Edo State.
Atiku announced this in a statement on Saturday in Benin.
The statement was signed by Mr Oladimeji Fabiyi, Deputy Director of the defunct Atiku Support Group/Mobilisation Presidential Campaign Organisation.
It quoted Abubakar as directing that the 150 independent support groups in Edo be immediately activated in support of Obaseki, PDP’s flag bearer in the election.
It stated further: “The former Vice President, as a major stakeholder of the PDP, considers it expedient to put in place winning structures and machineries that will guarantee total victory for the party in Edo.
“We need to complete the circle in the South-South region that naturally and originally belonged the PDP. Having received the directive with joy and enthusiasm, I have no doubt that all our support groups in Edo will be very glad to receive this news and run with the directive of Atiku Abubakar for the benefit of Obaseki and the PDP,” it stated.
Meanwhile, the PDP, on Saturday, presented Certificate of Return to Obaseki, as its flag bearer for the poll.
PDP National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, who presented the certificate to Obaseki, commended the party’s electoral committee for holding a peaceful and successful primary in Edo.
Secondus pledged that PDP would continue to do more with its primaries and congresses to give confidence to the people and for them to have confidence in themselves that they could participate in PDP which he described as “all inclusive.”
“This is a party of justice, this is a party of equity and this is a party of fairness. The power belongs to the people. It is not us, it is you and so, the power belongs to you.
“Today, we have taken an important step to ensure that Edo people believe in us. They believe in us and they will vote for PDP.
“So from Edo, we will move to Ondo and gradually to all parts of the country,” Secondus said.
Obaseki, speaking after receiving the party’s Certificate of Return, commended the party and its leadership for accommodating his team under the party’s umbrella during their hours of storm in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said that it was when he and his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, entered PDP they realised that the party represented the values they had been pursuing.
“It was only when we entered the house that we then realised that this is the house we should have been in the first instance, because we now saw that the values in the house are the values we cherished and live for.
“The values of justice, values of law and order, values of care for our people, putting the people first, these are the values we have always been in pursuit of, which we found in this new house in which we have been graciously accommodated,” Obaseki said.
The governor said that his team had no doubt that the PDP was going to be victorious on September 19, adding that he could see the hand of God in all happenings.
He gave assurance that he and his deputy would be committed to the party’s idea and vision for the people.
“What all these occurrences in the last forthnight tell me is that it is hand of God that orders things.
“I want to commit to you that in line with the ideal and motto of this party, I and my deputy, by the grace of God, is going to be my running mate, for the September 19 election, because you do not change a winning team.
“I want to commit to you that we shall promote the ideas of this great party and you can always count on us. Whenever the National Working Committee calls on us, we will be there.
“We have no choice because from what I have seen from my brother-governors in this party, what they have done and what they did for us in the party revived my political career, I have never seen that level of commitment,” Obaseki said.
Earlier, presenting the report of the PDP Edo Primary Election Committee to the party leadership, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who was also chairman of Election Committee, described the primary as free, fair and successful.
Mohammed said though other three contestants stepped down for Obaseki before the primary, the committee went ahead to conduct the primary in line with the party’s regulations to validate the process of the nomination.
He said that after the election, there were 72 invalid votes and Obaseki scored 1,952 with the total votes cast being 2,024, saying “everything went in line with the accredited voters and we have the results here with us.”
He said that for the first time, PDP had a rancour free election in Edo State where there was no mistrust, no suspicion and no in fight.
“I am happy to report that all the governors that went there really worked tirelessly to make sure that all our differences and challenges were resolved.
“We observed that at the end of the day, we are ready and Edo is ready to be won by this very important party, the PDP.
“I am confidently sure that Edo is going to fall in line within the realm of good governance of the PDP and I, hereby, submit the report with all the details and attachments,” Mohammed said.
