[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t was like a carnival on Thursday at Issele-Uku, headquarters of Aniocha North local government area of Delta state as the All Progressives Congress, (APC), ahead of the January 6, 2018 council polls flagged off its campaign rally.The rally which was attended by the state party chairman, Jones Erue and former speaker of the house of Assembly, Victor Ochei and other top notch of the party witnessed the presentation of flags to the chairmanship candidate, Andrew Azubuike Odozi (Goodness), and 14 councillorship candidates.
Speaking at the well attended flag-off held at the Oligbo Royal Palace Ground, state chairman of the party, Jones Ode Erue, told the candidates and party members, “you have being baptized politically. We are not here to talk mere words, we are here for action”, and charged the candidates not to be afraid as the party is strongly behind them in the race.While assuring the candidates and party members that gone are the days of writing and fixing of results by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Mr. Erue disclosed that “I shall move with you people from street to street in Aniocha North to ensure victory for the party and our candidates. They cannot write the result of Delta State anymore.” The chairman called on the women to preach the party message to their husbands and children at home who are in other parties adding that “The slavery and the suffering are enough. We cannot continue like this”.
Erue accused governor Ifeanyi Okowa led administration of looting the state treasury at the expense of the entirety of Deltans, “Yet they say Ego-Aria”, and at this point the mammoth crowd was thrown into an uncontrollable laughter.The chairman who charged the chairmanship candidate and his deputy and councillorship candidates to represent and win the election for the party, called on the masses to shun the PDP in the forthcoming local government election and cast their votes for the APC that has their interest at heart.
Also addressing the mammoth crowd, highly elated and outspoken former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, charged the chairmanship and other candidates of the party in the forthcoming council polls to be steadfast and be bold against all odds. Mr. Ochei, who is from the Aniocha North extraction, appealed to all those who contested with the chairmanship candidate, Mr. Andrew Azubuike Odozi (Goodness), to put the past behind and work for the victory of the party.
“Already, we have our candidates, whether you contested with him in primaries or you were not supporting him, please put everything behind you and support him because you believed in APC. And you know that we must create a change in this local government. APC is the idea that its time has come but the battle starts with you and me. That is we have to ensure that in our various wards we should not be ashamed or afraid”. Ochei however charged the candidates and party faithful to carry out the gospel of APC, “come out and do the voting from wards 1-14. I don’t want to see any councillorship candidate who is afraid. You will stand your ground as a lion. APC is a party of lions.
“In 2015 the party and its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, defeated an incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan which has never happened before. So you must go out there, stand, defend your votes and you must win your wards”, promising them that the party would go round the whole wards to campaign.
The former speaker, used the medium to dared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that APC would meet them at the polls, “Let them think that we are not on ground and they will be making noise. When they came here in Aniocha North, even the governor was here, the crowd was not half what we have here today. It is on records. So we are telling them, get ready because APC is coming”.
In his acceptance speech shortly after receiving the party flag from the state chairman, the Aniocha North chairmanship candidate, Andrew Azubuike Odozi (Goodness), thanked the party, especially the former speaker, Mr. Ochei who has always been a pillar of the party in the local government and the entire state, assuring that come January, 6, 2018 it will be win win for the party in the local government.