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Tag: Niger-Delta

  • Buhari’s victory will liberate Bayelsa, Niger Delta – APC leaders

    Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State have commended the impressive performance of President Muhammadu Buhari in Bayelsa State and Niger Delta region at the just-concluded presidential election.

    The leaders said the votes garnered by Buhari in the region, considered to be the stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would liberate Bayelsa and Niger Delta.

    Some of the leaders, who spoke in separate statements, are members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Tare Amatare, Nestor Binabo and Ebitimi Amgbare.

    Amatare referred to Buhari as a movement, saying nobody from the northern region would match his popularity to defeat him in any election.

    He added only the late Tafawa Balewa and Ahmadu Bello could have challenged the President.

    He said Buhari’s integrity and impeccable character stood him out and attracted votes to him from unexpected quarters including the Niger Delta.

    “Buhari is a political deity. People just love him and follow him. Despite occupying many positions, he still has no company, no oil wells, no marginal field.

    “Nigeria should appreciate him. We must not be thinking of going back to the dark days. We should be tired of stealing, looting,” he said.

    He lambasted the Igbos saying they were ungrateful to Buhari and the APC government adding that despite abusing the President in 2015, they got four substantive ministers and other projects from him.

    Binabo, in his statement, said the masses especially farmers and others in the villages rewarded Buhari with their votes following the positive impact of his policies on them.

    The former acting governor said despite the prejudice against APC leaders by the ruling party in Bayelsa, they worked very hard to sell Buhari’s policies to the people at the grassroots.

    “President Buhari’s widespread victory in the country including Bayelsa is an indication that his policies and welfare programmes are achieving their desired results. They are touching the lives of the common people.

    “This victory has also shown that contrary to claims by the ruling party in Bayelsa that there is no APC in the state, we are stronger now and we will soon take over the mantle of leadership in Bayelsa.

    “Finally, Bayelsa and the Niger Delta have been liberated. It is time the progressives took over Bayelsa and the region to ensure impact of governance on the people.

    “We have to join mainstream politics and align with the government at the centre,” he said.

    On his part, Amgbare a 2015 APC governorship aspirant, said the campaign council did not labour in vain saying the President deserved a second term.

    He said the President had been reinvigorated to step up the fight against corruption, end insurgency and restructure the economy.

    “The President said the people of the North-East were in a better position to appreciate his war against insurgency.

    “And we are happy that the people of the northeast responded positively with their votes.

    “I met many of our people who are benefitting from the President’s N-Power programme even without knowing anybody. These people gladly gave the President their votes,” he said.

  • GOC: thugs will be dealt with

    The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, has declared that personnel of the division will  deal with political thugs in Rivers State and other parts of Niger Delta.

    He made the declaration yesterday in Port Harcourt through 6 division’s Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu.

    The 6 Division covers Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states.

    The GOC said: “Credible intelligence available to Headquarters 6 Division, Nigerian Army has uncovered an unholy plan by some political actors within its Area of Responsibility (AOR) to arm and sponsor miscreants, in addition to using military-like fatigue dress for deception to cause pandemonium at polling stations for their political gain.

    “While covert efforts are ongoing to track the source of the weapons and the agents involved, in conjunction with sister security agencies, authorities of 6 Division wish to unequivocally state that anyone found to be disrupting the electoral process, under any guise, will be decisively dealt with, in accordance with the laws, no matter how highly placed he or she is.”

    Maj.-Gen. Sarham also reassured the “good people” of Niger Delta of providing adequate security, in conjunction with other security agencies, before, during and after this year’s general elections.

    The GOC lauded the Niger Delta indigenes for the cooperation and assistance rendered to the division, particularly in information dissemination. He urged them to do more.

  • Jonathan warns against extra-judicial killings

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has charged security agencies in the country to demonstrate their goodwill towards peaceful elections by desisting from extra-judicial killings.

    He made the call on Monday when youth groups in the Niger Delta led by the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Barr. Pereotubo Oweilaemi paid him a courtesy visit at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Office in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    In a statement by his spokesman, Ilechukwu Eze, Jonathan said: “Anytime someone dies extra-judicially it reduces the integrity of the country. So, if our security personnel are interested in peace, especially during this electioneering, then they must do everything to suppress extra-judicial killings; because when one person is killed unlawfully, it affects everyone.”

    He also called on youths to be peaceful and eschew violence all through the period of the scheduled general elections.

    According to him: “Without peace there cannot be development in the society. If we want to develop Nigeria as leaders and citizens, then collectively we must work hard and make sacrifices that will bring peace to our country.

    “When we have conflicts, it creates a very negative impression in the society and investors are very mindful of these impressions.”

    Read also: Urhobo youths endorse Buhari

    Speaking earlier on the purpose of the visit, Oweilaemi said their visit was to align themselves with the peace philosophy of the Dr. Jonathan that “nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.

    According to him: “During your time as President, you emphasised that nobody’s blood is worth your ambition.

    “You didn’t just say it, but you live by it everywhere you go. You have always placed national interest above personal interest.

    “The Niger Delta is very peaceful today because of you and the role you have been playing in peace-building.

    “We watch and follow every of your footstep and we can say we have become peace ambassadors because of your conduct and mentorship on us.

    “We are also aware that in a state, it is very difficult to have a former President, without him and the incumbent governor not having issues.

    “But in Bayelsa, we haven’t heard about you and the Governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson having issues. This is a further testament of your peaceful disposition.”

  • BoI, firm seal N1b Niger Delta off-grid deal

    The Bank of Industry (BoI) and All On have agreed to establish a N1billion Niger Delta off-grid energy fund.

    The fund will provide local currency debt financing to facilitate the deployment of energy solutions by access-to-energy companies in the Niger Delta at 10 per cent interest rate per year (with a one-year moratorium) and tenor of up to seven years.

    The objective of the fund is to stimulate the growth and geographic spread of off-grid energy businesses in the Niger Delta to enable households, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and communities have access to clean, affordable and reliable power solutions.

    In the Niger Delta, the majority of the population reside in rural areas and only 34 per cent of these have access to reliable grid power. The result is that SMEs in the region use expensive and inefficient diesel and petrol generators increasing their operational costs, families cook with firewood or kerosene while children study with flashlights or candles with the attendant negative health and safety concerns.  The provision of clean, affordable, and reliable sources of energy is therefore essential for improved economic activity and livelihoods of the people of the region.

    Speaking at the signing ceremony for the agreement, BoI Managing Director, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, said: “Bank of Industry keeps seeking and exploring strategic partnerships with reputable institutions like All On in developing sustainable solutions to facilitate social and industrial development. Power is a critical resource to achieving industrialisation, and is also a major cost driver for SMEs in Nigeria. We are, therefore, particularly, pleased with this partnership as the deployment of this fund will provide clean energy at affordable interest rate and friendly conditions not only to SMEs, but also to households and communities in the Niger Delta region of the country.”

    Chief Executive Officer, All On, an off-grid energy investment company backed by Shell, Dr. Wiebe Boer, said:  “We are excited to partner the Bank of Industry on the Niger Delta off-grid energy fund because of their reputation as a leading development finance institution and their deep experience as one of the earliest investors in the off-grid energy sector.

    This partnership will go a long way to encourage off grid energy companies to deploy in the Niger Delta and address the massive access to energy gap in the region.”

    The N1 billion fund is funded equally by the two institutions but will be operated by the Bank of Industry.

  • Amnesty programme lifts Niger Delta communities

    People from crisis-prone communities in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Cross Rivers, Imo, Ondo, Akwa Ibom and Abia States have benefitted from an empowerment scheme of the Presidential Amnesty Office.

    No fewer than 177 persons received items such as welding equipment, tailoring, catering, deep freezers, and generators.

    Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo, who flagged off the programme yesterday in Abonnema, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, said the gesture was a show of President Muhammadu Buhari’s love for the people of the oil-rich region.

    He said: “Having served in Port Harcourt, in the course of his military career, President Buhari is conversant with the unpleasant situation of the Niger Delta people, and he is committed to turning around the narrative. President Buhari loves you, and will ensure that the Niger Delta is stabilised and gets its right place in the country, especially in terms of infrastructural development.

    “The fact that he sustained the Amnesty Programme despite intense pressure from some quarters is an evidence of his love for the people, and I urge you to vote for him again so he can do more for our people.”

    Dokubo warned beneficiaries against selling the items, but to make judicious use of them to eke a living. “This is a special empowerment for people who are not among the 30,000 beneficiaries captured in the Presidential Amnesty Programme; it is meant for people in crises-impacted communities in the Niger Delta. It is to demonstrate that the Amnesty Programme is for all the people of Niger Delta, and we care for you,” he added.

    Community leader of Ogbeinbin, Warri North council of Delta State, Chief Solomon Ogumogu hailed Dokubo for the initiative.

    He said: “We are very happy for what is happening today and what we are seeing physically right here. Since the beginning of the Amnesty Programme in 2009, we have never experienced anything like this because the Amnesty Programme was targeted at those involved in armed struggle, those who carried arms, fighting for their freedom, but majority of communities had been neglected.

    “No coordinator of Amnesty Programme had ever remembered people who didn’t carry arms, but today, we are thanking Prof. Charles Dokubo for remembering communities affected while the militancy lasted. By giving us items today, we are so happy and we also thank President Buhari for appointing a visionary leader like Prof. Charles Dokubo.”

  • Coalition alleges arms’ stockpile in Niger Delta ahead polls

    A coalition of civil society groups yesterday alerted security agencies to massive stockpiling of arms in Niger Delta, particularly Bayelsa State, ahead of the general election.

    The coalition spoke in a statement after an event by Bayo Obatughase, deputy national president of Campaign for Democracy; Femi Lawson and Ologun Ayodeji, of Coalition Against Electoral Violence; and Isaac Atani, of Save Bayelsa/Save Niger Delta Group.

    Civil society groups lamented that nearly three years after submission of a report on electoral violence to the authorities and security agencies, no action had been taken on the report, which detailed atrocities and violations during the election.

    They recalled that the 2015 election in Bayelsa witnessed unimaginable violence, leading to deaths and destruction of property worth millions.

    It captured audio and visual recordings and testimonies of victims in Southern Ijaw Local Government and other parts of the state.

    The statement said: “We witnessed a situation where harmless citizens were molested, attacked and harassed with a lot of complicity on the part of those who, ordinarily are supposed to protect them.

    “As this crucial election gets closer, we have found it extremely imperative to inform Nigerians and the international community, about the likelihood of violence in some parts of the country, if necessary checks are not undertaken by the Federal Government and  other authorities.”

    “This clarion call becomes inevitable, as we have come to the realisation that elections should no longer be seen as wars and that whosoever engage in destruction of properties and lives is made to bear the consequences of his or her actions.”

    The coalition described as instructive the roles played by notable opposition party leaders in the violence.

    Read also: President says no going back on anti-graft battle

    The groups said a notable opposition party leader was also indicted by the report for being complicit in the atrocities that marred the election.

    “This litany of violence by the then opposition party as well as reports of stockpiling of weapons crystallised into violence witnessed in certain local governments in the state during the 2015 elections.

    “Equally shocking was our findings that in Southern Ijaw Local Government,  Peremabri community, thugs sacked the community, brutalised the people and shot the traditional ruler, Prsoper Never-Die, in the head.

    “These actors are once again preparing for a repeat and the only way to check it is by prosecuting the perpetrators of the previous action.”

  • Group raises alarm of election violence

    A coalition of civil society groups have raised alarm over the stock pilling of weapons in Bayelsa State and Niger Delta ahead of next week election.

    The convener, Coalition  Against  Electoral  Violence, Comrade  Olufemi Lawson at a conference in Lagos said the situation was worrisome.

    He said during the 2015 election, the world witnessed an unimaginable height of violence unleashed on the innocent people of the Bayelsa.

    “As this crucial election gets closer, we have found it extremely imperative to inform Nigerians and the international community, about the likelihood of violence in some parts of the country, if the necessary checks are not undertaken by the Federal government and various authorities across our land.

    “This clarion call becomes inevitable at this point, as we have come to the realization, that elections should no longer be seen as wars and that whosoever engage in the destruction of properties and lives of our people, during the election period, is made to bear the consequences of his or her actions. “

    Lawson said those who embark on election violence must be brought to book, noting that their conduct would lead to political apathy if not checked.

    “The Coalition called upon all patriotic Nigerians, leaders and members of the International community, to join hands with them as they commence a new phase of seeking justice for these victims of the senseless act of political desperation. They are also alarmed that from all available reports that these same perpetrators are already recruiting thugs and stockpiling arms, ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

    “Walled on the International Community, embassies and foreign governments to place a visa ban on these purveyors of violence as a further deterrence to those involved in electoral violence in the country.

    “We demanded that the Bayelsa State government, commence the immediate implementation of the reports of the Justice Margaret Akpomiemie led commission of inquiry, which investigated the violence, mayhem and grave breach of the peace that occurred in the state before and during the state 2015/2016 governorship election,” he said.

  • Oando officials donate to Niger Delta flood victims

    Employees of Oando Plc  began  the year by putting smiles on the faces of thousands of people affected by the 2018 floods in Rivers and Bayelsa states, The Nation has learnt.

    Last year, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed that flooding across 16 states and 87 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Central and Southern Nigeria  caused 199 deaths and 1,036 injuries. In addition 176,299 people were internally displaced; 3,544 houses destroyed; 150,285 hectares of agricultural land destroyed and a further 826,403 of the population were to varying degrees negatively impacted.

    Dealing with the impact of urban flooding is always challenging, and this instance was no exception. Affected communities were left to pick up the pieces after the devastation of having their crops destroyed; leaving the population vulnerable to food shortages and negatively impacting the livelihoods of already struggling farmers. The floods also affected other livelihoods, such as fishermen and women, who were hardest hit. The flood was so severe that some communities were cut off from each other and schools closed.

    In an interview with newsmen in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Coordinator, Emergency Operation Centre E, Rivers/Bayelsa Territory of NEMA, Mr. Yakubu Suleiman, disclosed that several homes, farmland, schools and churches were submerged in the affected communities across eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

    In their bid to identify with the victims,  Oando employees have donated food and non-perishable items such as bags of rice; cartons of noodles; disinfectant; mosquito treated nets; clothing to over 2,000 displaced families in some communities as well as those in government-approved camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in their host communities of Rivers and Bayelsa States.

    The initiative was hinged on their realisation that the government cannot achieve an inclusive and sustainable society alone. “Citizens and organisations must work alongside governments to support the building of the society we all desire,” they said.

    The initiative, they noted, is rooted in the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, which builds upon the collective strengths of its people and partners as good corporate citizens to power, prosperity and long term growth within its host communities.

    Speaking on the initiative, an employee, Olayemi Olomo, said: “I believe strongly in helping people in need. Initiatives of this nature have been my passion for over five years, and that’s part of the culture here at Oando.”

    Inikpi Okutachi, another employee, said: “I appreciate how Oando encourages and stands behind its communities, it’s inspiring. I couldn’t help but follow in the steps of the company by making a donation when the need arose.”

    General Manager Commercial, Oando Energy Resources,  Akinbambo Ibidapo-Obe said: “It’s not very often that you find yourself in a company with people who share the same values as you do. I’ve participated in all employee philanthropy that the company has embarked on and I pledge to continue to do so. Natural disasters do not discriminate; any one of us…our family, our friends could be in the same situation one day and I hope people will rally to support me or them, the same way the Oando team is doing today.”

    In a letter to Oando, Chairman, Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, Major Zedekiah T. Isu, appreciated the efforts of Oando employees. “The state government through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) says thank you.”

    In 2018, Oando employees, as part of its ‘Month of Love’ initiative donated school supplies such as educational books to encourage learning and reading, school bags, school furniture, raincoats in preparation for the rainy season, and other items to aid educational development to three public primary schools in Gbagada Schools Complex.

    In commemoration of World Blood Donor Day of same year, Oando staff donated blood to save lives in partnership with LifeBank an e-health company connecting blood banks with hospitals. The objective of the blood drive was to bridge the blood shortage gap in Nigeria and dispel myths around blood donation.

  • Tension in Niger Delta over plot against new NDDC boss

    There was tension in the Niger Delta region following moves by a section of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State to force replacement of the newly-appointed acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Nelson Brambaifa.

    It was gathered the appointment of Brambaifa shocked the Bayelsa APC leadership and altered the calculation of the party’s camp loyal to the state leader of APC and former Governor Timipre Sylva.

    The camp was said to have expected Sylva or someone loyal to him to clinch the coveted position in NDDC ahead of the forthcoming general and governorship elections in the state.

    But the camp was said to have been thrown into crisis after the Presidency opted for Brambaifa, whose recommendation reportedly came from the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.

    A member of Sylva’s camp, who spoke in confidence, told The Nation that the appointment would not stand insisting Brambaifa’s role as the managing director was temporary.

    “We were sure that either Sylva or a candidate he rcommended would be announced as the new boss of the NDDC. We were surprised when Brambaifa was announced. But for us this is one appointment that will not stand. He will surely be replaced,” he said.

    But the Central Zone of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Bodies (CNDYB), Ijaw Unity and Peace Committee (IUPC) and ex-militants commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the appointment and urged persons against Braimbaifa to sheathe their swords.

    Speaking at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, the Chairman, IYC Central Zone, Tare Porri, said the new boss of the NDDC, being an Ijaw man, deserved the support of all Ijaw people.

    He urged persons from Bayelsa making moves against the new managing director to desist and mobilise support for him to succeed in his assignment.

    He said: “We have just been told that some persons are not satisfied with his appointment.

    “We want to say that the Ijaw cannot be more blessed than now. God has given us an Ijaw man to head the commission.

    “So, l call on Ijaw leaders to mobilise support for Prof. Brambaifa as the MD. When a man from Akwa Ibom was the MD, the entire state and people of Akwa Ibom mobilised support for him. That should be our own case”.

    Also ex-militants, under the auspices of the Third Phase Ex-Agitators, warned persons planning to protest against the appointment of Brambaifa to desist from it.

    Read Also: I’ll pay Niger Delta more attention – Buhari

    The Chairman of the group, Osaanya B. Osaanya, described such persons as devilish and urged people in Bayelsa to stay away from them.

    He said: “We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Prof. Brambaifa from Bayelsa state as the head of the NDDC. He is more than qualified to occupy the position.

    “We want to warn those, who are planning any form of protest against the appointment of Professor Nelson Brambaifa as enemies of Bayelsa State

    “It is on this note that we as ex-agitators call on all Bayelsa to be wary and run away from devilish people who don’t mean well for our state. We will stand against any for of oppression against the will of the people”.

    Similarly, the CNDYB, in a statement by its coordinator, Ayebakuro Igbeta, described Brambaifa as an astute professional with the ability to administer the affairs of the commission.

    Igbeta said: “The coalition wishes to on behalf of the people of the region commend President Muhammadu Buhari, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Federal Government of Nigeria for laying to rest the disturbing issue of the NDDC tenure.

    “It cannot be overemphasised that the issue was at some time beginning to brew disaffection and accrimony amongst the people of the region.

    “This appointment has most certainly laid to rest the burning questions bothering even on the integrity and sincerity of the President Buhari-led Federal Government”.

    Convener of the IUPC, Justin Ogboma, said the appointment of Brambaifa showed the sincerity and commitment of President Buhari to develop the region.

    “The decision of Brambaifa in particular is worth commending, as he is one man, with virtue of honesty, commitment and all-embracing.

    “We are confident that instead of causing disaffection, Brambaifa is one man that will build bridges and utilise the position to advance your good work in our region,” he said,

    Aggrieved by the move against Brambaifa, militants, who identified themselves as the Strike Force of MEND, threatened resistance from it’s ranks, if the Presidency, yields to selfish demands by replacing or removing Brambaifa.

    They said Brambaifa’s appointment was a product of the cries, protests, agitations and sacrifices of Ijaws, who refused to be cowed by fear, death or intimidation.

    Speaking through their spokesperson, Capt. Jhoto Koankiri, the group advised the Presidency to jettison desperate moves capable destabilising peace in the region.

  • Buhari to Niger Delta: expect more development

    Thousands of supporters and ordinary folks were cheering yesterday as President Muhammadu Buhari led members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council to the Niger Delta. The campaign train stopped over in Warri, Delta State and Benin, Edo State.

    He assured the people that his promise to develop the region would continue to receive serious attention.

    The President, who gave the assurance at the Warri Township Stadium during the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign/ mega rally for the party’s candidates in Delta State, said his administration’s fight against corruption would receive more serious steam if re-elected next month.

    Coming as the last speaker at the event, which saw a massive turnout of people from various  parts of the state, Buhari noted that his administration will continue to give attention to issues of security and economy, noting that security would allow for a proper management of resources and in return give room for a thriving economy.

    He said: “I assure you, the fundamental objectives we have identified and campaigned on in 2015 are still relevant; the country has to be secured to be properly managed and proper management means doing well in the economy. We have a young population, most of them unemployed, this is of great concern.

    “We have turned to agriculture and industry. Massively, God has helped us with raining seasons,  especially the last two, and we have virtually been able to achieve food security as a nation. A lot of young people have been mobilised and they have gone back to land and they haven’t regretted it.

    “In the fight against corruption, I assure you that all those who have fraudulently enriched themselves when they were entrusted with public funds, we will eventually get them and deal with them. We are doing it, we will continue to do it and I assure you, we will not abuse your trust.

    “I assure you that the programme mentioned here about the development of the Niger Delta will be taken even more seriously. I expect you to please cooperate and vote APC from top to the bottom.”

    Others who spoke at the event assured the President of getting his winning figures from Delta State and the other parts of the Niger Delta region.

    Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, said: “Don’t sleep on that day because if you sleep, PDP will steal the slip and write results as they always do. You said you want to change Okowa; the only way to change Okowa is to go out that day to vote. Vote for Buhari, vote for Ogboru and don’t vote Okowa that way, APC will win.”

    The leader of the Delta Mainstream APC, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, told reporters that the APC will win in Delta with a wide margin.

    He said: “Our people are waiting for the elections to come so that we can reciprocate President Buhari’s performance in the state. I can confidently tell you he will score over 80 per cent of the total votes in Delta with this massive turnout in next month’s election. APC has taken over Delta.”

    Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who spoke at the palace of the Ovie of Uvwie, where all Urhobo monarchs received the President, reeled out the achievements of the administration in Delta State and other parts of the oil-rich Niger Delta.

    Former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who is also contesting the Delta South Senatorial District election, said: “Mr. President, Delta people have seen what  you have done and they are ready to vote you in a second time.”

    The Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, also assured President Buhari will sweep the election in Delta State.

    APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole urged President Buhari to probe the $16 billion power project fund appropriated by the PDP administration and ensure that everyone involved in the mismanagement is punished.

    He said: “Yesterday (Wednesday), I was watching the television, I saw PDP presidential candidate and a former Customs officer (Atiku); he was saying in the likely event that If Nigerians make the mistake of their life to vote for him (Atiku) as president, he is telling Nigerians whether they like it or not, even if he would die, that he will sell oil reserves of Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo states and that he would auction all oil properties of Nigeria whether they (Nigerians) like it or not.

    “If somebody puts you on notice that if you vote for him, that he is going to sell your family, will you agree? Will you vote for him? When Atiku was the vice president, I was the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress. When they wanted to sell Nigeria Airways, when we told him no, he (Atiku) said he doesn’t care. He just wanted to sell Nigeria Airways.”

    In Edo State, Oshiomhole told his kinsmen to use their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to retire the PDP presidential candidate from politics.

    The former Edo State governor urged the electorate to use their PVCs to stop Atiku’s  plan to use the country’s resources to enrich his friends, adding that Nigerians would not allow Atiku to reopen the vaults of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the PDP.

    He said Nigerians should ponder if Atiku was the fit and proper person to replace President Buhari.

    Oshiomhole, who prayed for Atiku to be alive to see the country’s growth under President Buhari, cautioned Nigerians to be wary of those who destroyed “our yesterday and now wear new clothes in other to compromise our tomorrow.”

    He insisted that the APC won the 2015 election for President Buhari in the state if the PDP had not colluded with INEC to cancel 120,000 votes. The forthcoming elections will be decided by one-man-one vote because the PDP can no longer use the military to intimidate them, Oshiomhole told his audience.

    Oshiomhole said the real revolution of President Buhari had shown that farmers now get value for money and the country is moving towards food security.

    He said: “Those battles we fought before where PDP used the military to arrest our youth leaders and plant guns in the hotel rooms of APC leaders. In these coming elections, they will not be able to do so. In 2015, they deployed soldiers to my village to intimidate me but this time, they will not be able to do so.

    “Our campaign for one man one vote will prevail.  Even with those preventive measures the PDP deploye,d we still won 45percent for Mr. President after PDP, in collision with INEC to ensure 120,000 votes were deleted. If those votes were not deleted, we would have delivered Buhari.”

    President Buhari, who thanked Edo people for waiting for him for over six hours, assured them that he had made progress in his electoral promises on security, economy and corruption.

    Read also: Fed Govt pleads with striking tertiary institutions workers

    He said: “In the economy, we have empowered farmers. The CBN gave soft loans to farmers and we succeeded in food security. We are saving hundred of millions of dollars by growing our food. I congratulate Nigerians for that because they decided to go back to the land.

    “On corruption, we are following the slow system where we present facts before the people. We are selling the recovered assets and putting the money into TSA. Sooner than later, I will direct the EFCC and ICPC to tell Nigerians what we have recovered and what we intend to do with them. Vote for all APC candidates. Give us the power to control the state Assembly, National Assembly and the Presidency.”

    Ameachi described as “unfortunate” that former President Goodluck Jonathan could not give the Niger Delta water to drink.

    He said Edo had benefited from the railway projects because several stations were built in many Edo villages where the Itakpa-Warri railway passes through.

    According to him, nobody has the right to steal Nigeria’s money to become rich. He urged the people to stop the PDP from returning to power.

    Governor Godwin Obaseki alleged that the former PDP administration demanded for $20 million bribe to give a letter to access money to build the Azura Power Project.

    Obaseki promised to deliver one million votes for President Buhari.

    Some chieftains of the PDP announced their defections to the APC.