Mobilise Grassroots for Atiku/Okowa, South-South Group Charged

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The South-South zonal office of the Atiku Support Organisation (ASO) has been urged to ensure that the Peoples’ Democratic Patry’s (PDP) presidential ticket bearers would emerge successful at the 2023 presidential election in the country.

The South-South Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Nkechi Enumah-Chukura, gave the charge while addressing state members of the group in Asaba at the weekend.

A 19-member State Team and 25 local government area coordinators saddled with the mandate to mobilise support for the Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, were recently unveiled at a ceremony in Asaba on the authority of the ASO’s Director-General, Abubakar Babawo.

Babawo said: “The group (ASO) is charged with ensuring massive grassroots mobilisation of voters in the state and properly educate voters on what the Atiku/Okowa ticket represents for a united and better Nigeria.”

However, Dr. Enumah-Chukura, who also inaugurated Mr. Samuel Askia Jr., as a member of the state executive committee of the group, congratulated the group for Atiku’s victory at the recent PDP’s presidential primaries vis-â-vis the emergence Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.

She charged the cordinators to carry along leaders of the party, women and youths groups and ensure that all eligible grassroots persons have their voter’s card, adding that the responsibility for the success or failure of the assignment to get Atiku and Okowa to Aso Rock Villa Abuja in 2023 rested squarely on the shoulders of every member of the group.

She said: “We are here as directed by our amiable Director General, Mr. Abubakar Babawo, who mandated the inauguration of this 19-man State Exco and 25 Local Government Area ASO Ambassadors, whose first task will be to come up with LGA and wards exco lists before Friday.

“As ASO ambassadors, the success and failure of our main goal to Aso Rock lies squarely on all of us. We all know that the economic viability of Nigeria cannot be complete without the likes of Atiku, and the judicial jurisprudence that tested the constitution; and, our laws cannot be complete also without the likes of Atiku.

”We are encouraging you to be at your best and justify this responsibility by ensuring that our women, youth groups and associations are genuinely carried along, so they can understand your intents. This is the assignment that we have since been looking forward to.

“Do not be scared of any kind of intimidation; remain respectful and humble but be firm to ensure that the ideals of our principal are properly taken to the grassroots.

“We are lucky, because to show the divinity in this project, we in Delta State have the privilege of having His Excellency, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, as Atiku’s running mate.

“That also comes with enormous work to be done. As a political strategist, I can assure you that we will win this election.”

In his remarks, Askia Jnr. expressed appreciation to all members present for their commitments, and tasked them to own the project, saying that he is confident that Atiku Abubakar would secure a landslide victory at the polls, especially with “the massive division in the ranks of APC (All Progressives Congress).”

The Cross River State Coordinator, Hon. Princewill Etung, in his goodwill message said that Nigerians “have an opportunity to put Nigeria on a right path,” adding that the PDP’s flag-bearer possessed the “solid base” to actualise the dream.

Etung said: ”We are here for a strategic meeting. This is not for the crowd. When we move from here, we will multiply to millions. Prior to now, South-South had an opportunity that we used, though not maximally; now we have another opportunity.

“We feed this nation. When we leave here let the people know that this is an opportunity to return power to the south.”

Similarly, Mr. Israel Abosi, who administered the oath office in his capacity as an attorney, described the leadership qualities of the zonal coordinator as exemplary.

Abosi said: “God has given the PDP the wisdom of presenting candidates that will not give us problems of marketing. So, the work you need to do is to return to your LGAs and make people to realise the importance of what God has given to us.

“What is cardinal is interest. Think of a man that has the country at heart, a man that is so detrabilised and better focused to fix our dear country from the ruins of the APC.”

Others who spoke at the event were, ESV. Armstrong Ovie-Afabor, and Comrade David Awasa, state coordinators from Rivers, Edo and Bayelsa states, respectively.