The presidential campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will kick off in Enugu State on Friday, with Governor Sullivan Chime assuring the party faithful that the state is fully for the president.
Major highlight of the Friday campaign event will the presentation of flag to the PDP candidate in the state, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, by president Jonathan.
Chime said he and the party will mobilise the people of the state to deliver 100 per cent of their votes to President Goodluck Jonathan during the February 14 election.
meanwhile, the youth council of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Wednesday dismissed the vituperations of Catholic cleric, Rev Father Ejike Mbaka, on President Jonathan as misguided.
Mbaka during the anew Year Service of his adoration ministry advised Nigerians to reject President Jonathan in the coming election over alleged non-performance.
The National President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council, Chief Okechukwu Isiguzoro, called on Nigerians not to make any capital of Mbaka’s attack on Jonathan as he was not speaking for either the Catholic church or Ndigbo.
Chime, is the coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Committee in Enugu State, said the state would be fully mobilised for the president, noting that as a PDP state, the president should not loose sleep over the antics of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor who spoke through the Deputy Coordinator, Chief Charles Egumgbe and Secretary, Rita Mbah, said apart from commencement the presidential campaign, the president would also use the opportunity to formally present the party’s flag to the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the state, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
He said the rally which would take place at the main bowl of Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, would be the “mother of all rallies,” noting that it would be similar to the rally organised by the Enugu Movement for the Re-Election of President Jonathan (EMJ) last year, which has been variously described as the best in recent times.
“We are going to witness a carnival on Friday to show the strength of Enugu for the president.
The president has done well and we are going to demonstrate that on Friday and on February 14 when the voting will take place, “ he said, adding that prominent leaders of the party including the president himself, his deputy, National Chairman of the party, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), DG of the campaign committee among others are expected in the state.
On their part, the Ohanaeze Youth Council said the comments by Rev Father Mbaka against the president were not only vexatious but inciting, and advised him to steer clear of politics and face his spiritual calling.
“Mbaka as a man of God, should have steered out of politics and concentrated on winning souls for God. He does not understand the issues he dabbled into and he appears to be under the prodding of fifth columnists. His followers expected him to give them spiritual food but he is now giving them a spiritual poison.
“Does he posses the facts and figures he was dishing out. Why should he blow hot and cold. The first lady visited him and showered earthly blessings on him and he voluptuously extolled the Jonathan’s regime only to turn back to incite the polity against him. What kind of contradiction is that? Any way he spoke for himself and not Ndigbo or the christiandom. We call on the Catholic High Command to look into this grossly political statement from Father Mbaka to find out his real motive,” Isiguzoro noted.
