PDP’ll win presidency despite G-5 Govs’ pact with Tinubu, says Okowa

• predicts division in Wike’s group

Vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, has expressed confidence that the party will clinch the presidency next year, despite the G5 governors’ reported pact with the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in London.

According to him, God, not the action of G-5 governors, will determine Nigeria’s next president, adding that the governors will bury the hatchet and work for the victory of PDP in the general elections.

Leading the PDP campaign train to Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West local councils, yesterday, the governor stated: “God has said that we, the PDP, will win this election. Many things may be happening now and people may be asking, what about the G-5 governors? These governors are our brothers; everybody is important. But what God has said will happen; nobody can change it. So, even if some of them decide to support the All Progressives Congress (APC), some will still remain with us, because there will be division among them.

“I have strong political eyes and I have observed that no matter what they do, PDP will win the forthcoming election, by the grace of God. It is only the power of God that can help us to win.”

Disparaging the APC and Labour (LP), he disclosed PDP’s plan to sweet-talk supporters of the two parties not to waste their votes.

“Those supporters wishing to vote for LP are only indirectly helping APC and trying to reduce the vote of PDP. So, please go and plead with LP supporters to return to PDP and join us to change Nigeria for the better. We, the PDP, are ready to change the so-called previous change. Therefore, everyone should go and get his or her Permanent Voter Card (PVC),” he said.

Okowa charged the people to embark on house-to-house and market-to-market campaign to convince the people to support PDP’s Rescue Mission, assuring that the Atiku-Okowa ticket would bring about economic boom, a united Nigeria where the economy would be private sector-driven and restructuring that would make money available for states and local councils to embark on projects.

His words: “The APC has finished Nigeria. They promised change in 2015, but they have destroyed our dear country with insecurity, hunger and poverty. To solve the insecurity challenge, we will amend the Constitution to allow state police.

“The Atiku-Okowa presidency will restructure Nigeria by allowing states to have more funds and more responsibilities to better the lots of Nigerians. We will amend the constitution to give more powers and resources to states and local councils and we will encourage a private sector-led economy.”

He noted that the country’s economy was doing well before the APC came in 2015 and destroyed it. On the governorship election in the state, Okowa said the PDP candidate, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, and his running mate, Monday Onyeme, have the capacity to build on the foundation laid by his administration; hence the need to vote for them.

Oborevwori, on his part, promised to complete the ongoing construction of Beneku Bridge and Phase 3 and 4 of Ashaka road, if the Okowa administration could not. He described Onyeme as a reliable, competent and very articulate professional who would bring his many years of experience to bear on the administration.

Chairman of delta PDP, Chief Kingsley Esiso, who presented flags to the candidates, said the party has cure for all challenges confronting the nation, adding: “I am very happy because APC’s days are numbered and PDP is coming on a rescue mission to reset Nigeria.”