Date: 2015-02-04

With a strong message, President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign train stormed Ilorin, the Kwara State capital recently. Hammed Shittu reports

The ancient town of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital recently went agog when thousands of the supporters and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the 193 wards in the state came out in large numbers to give the visiting President Goodluck Jonathan and other leaders of the party a rousing welcome to the state.

The supporters who abandoned their various businesses had stormed the venue of the presidential rally at Ilorin Metropolitan Square located along Asa dam road, to show support and solidarity with the candidature of the president in his bid to seek re-election on February 14.

As early as 9,00 a.m, all the ways leading to the venue of the rally was packed full of various party groups, sporting different vests with inscriptions like, “Goodluck Jonathan is the answer’; ‘Jonathan, the energetic and young leader” and ‘Kwara is for PDP’ among others.

Security personnel also had a hectic work as people continued to troop out to the venue of the rally from different parts of the state and ensured that all the people were thoroughly checked in into the venue of the rally to avoid any breakdown of law and order.

President Jonathan arrived at the Ilorin International Airport, Ilorin at exactly 11.15 am and later moved to the palace of the Emir of Ilorin located at Oja-Oba, Ilorin where he paid homage to the Emir, Alhaji Ibrahim Zulu Gambari.

At the palace, President Jonathan said the essence of the visit was to pay homage and respect to members of the state Traditional Council under the chairmanship of the Emir of Ilorin.

"We thank the Emir for his kind support and prayers in the past for the PDP and our administration. If we can observe, we would see that in the last four years, we have recorded achievements through road constructions, economic development and others and in the last four years, we have had challenges and the main one is security particularly in the North-east. 

"In the next two weeks, we would double our efforts on the issue of tackling the security challenges in the North-east  and if elected again, we plan to take agriculture to the next level and Kwarans would benefit because they are enterprising and they would key into our programmes."

The Emir, in his response, said "Kwarans are peace-loving people and they respect constituted authority. You have done well and we urge you to work towards maintaining peace in the country and you have demonstrated that you are a peace-loving leader by joining others in signing the peace accord in Abuja.”

At exactly 12.40 pm, President Jonathan and his entourage arrived at the venue of the rally amidst cheers from the crowd on hand to receive him to the venue of the rally. Jonathan later walked round the venue of the rally where he showed appreciation for their love, support and solidarity towards his re-election bid.

The programme commenced with the opening prayers from both the Muslims and Christians faith. The Muslim prayer was conducted by one of the leaders of the PDP in the state, Alhaji L.K Jimoh, while the Christians prayer was conducted by the former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Ezekiel Benjamin.

Jonathan and the Senate President, Senator David Mark, declared that the PDP would not allow any form of rigging by any political party in the February elections.
Jonathan said his administration was committed to free, fair and transparent 2015 polls.

Jonathan, who appreciated the large turn-out of Kwarans and supporters of the PDP at the venue, said he would not encourage governance by intimidation if re-elected and that he would give people the ability and freedom to express themselves.

"My message to people of Kwara State specifically today is not all about what we have done or what we'll even do per se, but to show you people that we'll work with you people and let Nigerians know they are free citizens.

“We don't want a government where they'll be governed by intimidation. We are committed to a government wherein every Nigerian will be free, where every young man and woman of 18 years old will be free. We don't want to be bottled or have any fear of intimidation.

“We don't encourage a situation where leaders intimidate followers, where people feel like they are in a zoo, where lion or leopards are moving freely and others go into hiding. Nigeria is not a zoological garden. Nigeria is a country governed by laws and people are free.

"Kwara is a PDP state. It's just that our mandate was illegally taken away. We'll surely get it back. Despite all that, you have remained strong. We love you for that and we'll continue to work with you. Kwara State is a peaceful state – state of harmony, where all Nigerians reside for business and other development activities. We thank you for the peaceful coexistence against insecurity we experience in some other parts of the country. We'll continue to work together to make the state peaceful.

“We'll work with you to make agriculture turn you to billionaires through micro, small and medium scale agro-allied enterprises to even create jobs for others. We have intervened on water, power, rail transport, creation of universities and road construction among others.

"This country belongs to the youth and you are the future leaders. That is what we are set out for – government of the young people. We also have a vibrant economy recognised by CNN two days, ranking us with two other countries where the economy will continue to boom.
“If CNN can say that who is that economist in Nigeria that can say what the world has seen will be seen differently. Our economy is the largest in Africa. All experts in both public and private sectors have been working to sustain that.”

Mark, on his part, expressed optimism that the PDP would win the general election and vowed that the party would not allow any rigging.
He said the North central zone from where he hails decided to vote en mass for Jonathan in 2011 and that it has also resolved to repeat the same vote this year’s election, assuring the people that the zone would give the president the highest number of votes.

He said the zone resolved to maintain its vote for Jonathan because the president has done a lot to entrench the principle of democracy in the nation's voting system to make election free, fair and credible.

National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, who presented the party's flag to the PDP governorship candidate in Kwara State, Simeon Ajibola at the rally urged Nigerians to vote for President Jonathan for another term in office, describing him as "young, dynamic and energetic."

He said the present administration has achieved remarkable achievement in various fields of economy like transport, roads, education, agriculture, economy and youth development among others.
However, conspicuously absent at the presidential rally was a PDP chieftain and a governorship aspirant in the state, Senator Gbemisola Saraki and her supporters.

State coordinator of the presidential campaign and a governorship aspirant, Muhammad Dele Belgore (SAN) told the president that "Kwara is yours, Mr. President, as this huge crowd clearly shows. Kwara is the only state with two governors. One is merely occupying the seat and has no powers, while the other one exercises all the powers.

“This is a state where the common wealth of the many is enjoyed only by a few. Kwara is ready to liberate itself, Mr. President. We will vote for PDP, starting with the president, National Assembly and our governorship candidate. As our party chairman said the last time he was in Kwara, PDP is kwara and kwara is PDP. Mr. President, welcome again to Kwara".

If the crowd of supporters that graced the rally is anything to go by in Kwara, the prediction as to which party will win the general election in the state may be difficult to make.