Ekweremadu Urges Electorate Not to Go Home After Casting Ballots

By Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has advised Nigerians to stay around the polling centres after casting the ballots to ensure that their votes counted, insisting that the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), never stipulate that people should go home after voting.

Ekweremadu blamed the misinformation on persons who wanted to rig the forthcoming elections.

He stated this during a campaign rally at Egede/Umuoka Ward, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, the electoral ward of the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he (Ekweremadu) was overwhelmingly endorsed.

 The Senator said he was sure of victory for himself and the PDP in Egede/Umuoka Ward as completed and ongoing projects he attracted to the Ward and neighbouring communities would earn him victory.

 “It is not true that you must go home after voting. You have to stay around to have your votes counted, signed, and a copy given to the agents. We will keep vigil on Election Day and ensure our victory”, he said.

“They say Udi is the headquarters of the APC in the South-east and I tell them it is not true. Although in every 12, there is always a Judas, but the Judases are in great minority. Udi is PDP. Besides, our works speak for us.

“Last year, the traditional rulers of Egede, the town union, politicians, women and youth came to greet and endorse me in Enugu.  “They reminded me that there was a water project we inaugurated for them in 2014, which had stopped working. I told them that I would ensure that it would start working again before the end of January 2019. I just inaugurated the rehabilitated borehole and water is flowing as I speak.

“We have the Umuovu-Anekeze-Umuanum-Okwum Egede Erosion Control project. First section starting from the market/church was asphalted in 2016, while another section started in 2017 with earthworks and drainage is still ongoing for 2018 budget. We attracted the ongoing Umulumgbe-Affa-Ikedimkpa-Amaozalla-Egede-Awhum Federal Road to make life better for our people.

“The Solar Street lights, ICT equipment for the secondary school here, plus Ikeoha Foundation scholarships, adult literacy centres, health outreach, and other empowerment programmes speak for us.

“There are new electricity projects, road project, school project, and a water project in Umoka through our Water-for- All Programme in Enugu-west.

“So, just as in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015, when we won 100 per cent, we will also return PDP 100 per cent in all elections in 2019”, he stated.

He, however, urged the people to resist every provocation to violence.

“Ours is politics without bitterness. I have helped my opponent with a job in the Office of the Attorney-General before. After the 2019 elections, we will find a job for her again. No bitterness”.

Speaking, Member representing Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency, Hon. Dennis Amadi, who is also the candidate of the PDP for the same Constituency in the 2019 elections, recalled that Ekweremadu’s presence at the National Assembly had brought immense transformation to the senatorial district.

“The N39 billion contract for the dualisation of Enugu-Makurdi road, which passes through the heart of Udi North was possible because we have such an accessible and ranking Senator like Ekweremadu. The Umulumgbe-Affa-Ikedimkpa-Amaozalla-Egede-Awhum Federal Government road project was possible because we have a Senator, who understands our challenges and silently gets things done.

 “We also have a PDP governor working for our people,” Amadi added.