ADC flags off election campaign in Rivers

Kelechi Esogwa Amadi

The Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has flagged off its campaign for this year’s general elections kicking off with the presidential polls on February 16.

The ADC, at a well attended ceremony held on Tuesday, 29th January, 2019 at Moriela Hotel, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, the party handed over flags to its governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives candidates and urged them to remain good ambassadors of the party.

In his speech before the handover of the flags, state chairman of the party, Dr Kalada D. Oronegbe described ADC as a party of friendship that opens its hands wide to accommodate every development-minded person irrespective of class, religion, tribe or sex.

He said despite the things that had happened in Rivers State in the past, ADC would focus on reconciliation of all parties with the aim of moving the state forward.

‘’We’re for reconciliation; we’re for peace; we’re for unity; we’re for transparency and accountability. We have come to bring a paradigm shift from the old system. We will make promises that we can fulfil,’’ the ADC state chairman said.
He further assured that ADC would run programmes that would impact positively on the lives of the people and urged the party’s candidates to remain focused.

The party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State, Arc. Eniye Nelson Braide, in his own speech, maintained that time had come for change in the governance of the state.

He urged ADC supporters and the people of the state to brace up for the wind of change blowing across the length and breadth of Rivers State in particular and Nigeria at large, hence the need for them to key in and vote wisely to ensure that the right people win at the end of the day.

The ADC governorship candidate promised to run a people-oriented, development-focused and God-fearing government when finally elected as governor of Rivers State, adding that God was behind the party and its candidates.

He, therefore, appealed to members of the party and the entire electorate of Rivers State to support them.

Deputy governorship candidate of the party, Dr Windum Kanavura said his candidacy was divine as God singled him out for the position, irrespective of the fact that he might not have the physical attributes to run for such a position.
‘’Looking at me, I don’t have the political clout to be a deputy governor but God said that I’m qualified and I said yes to God,’’ he said.

The party’s senatorial candidate for Rivers East Senatorial District, Barr Nduka Clay Ogbonna, urged the people of Rivers State to reject the politics of ‘vote buying’ and ‘stomach infrastructure’ that has characterised the Nigerian polity in recent years.

Citing a Greek mythology that ends with the lesson that whatever the gods have ordained must come to pass, Barr Ogbonna said that time had come for Rivers State to experience socio-economic and political transformation.

‘’Silver and gold have we none; what we have is intellect, honesty, accountability…the time has come for us to say no to tokenism. No more will our collective patrimony be turned to an estate of the few,’’ the ADC senatorial candidate said.

Rex Tonye Idaminabo Esq., ADC’s House of Representatives candidate for Phalga Federal Constituency 1, said that governance in Rivers State was overdue for change. He urged the people of the state to mobilise their intellectual power and refuse to be deceived with peanuts by politicians.

In his vote of thanks, Chief Monday Ngagi thanked the chairman of ADC in the state, Dr Kalada Oronegbe, for his effort in making the programme successful. He also commended the candidates of the party for their peaceful disposition while urging supporters of the party to emulate same.