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From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
An unprecedented crowd welcomed the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to Lokoja, the Kogi State, capital on Saturday amidst pomp and pageantry.
Atiku’s campaign visit turned the state capital upside down as every member of the opposition party and its huge supporters trooped into the 30,000 seating capacity of the Confluence Stadium which was filled to the brim.
Hours before the arrival and departure of the presidential candidate and his entourage to the state capital, the traffic gridlock in major streets of the city was notably unusual due to the inflow of people from all 21 local government areas of the state.
Addressing the mammoth crowd, the obviously happy Atiku said if voted into power, he would make sure he completes the Lokoja dry port to open maritime activities to people in the state and the northern part of the country.
He said the nightmare over the completion of the gigantic Ajaokuta Steel company will be a thing of the past as he would ensure its speedy completion which he said will open up the economy and create employment opportunities for the youths.
Atiku expressed surprise that while coming from Obajana to Lokoja for the mega rally he saw scores of youths walking along the streets doing nothing, saying if given the opportunity, PDP will wipe out poverty from the country.
In his own speech, the PDP presidential running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, called the people of the state to vote en mass for all the PDP candidates in the February election so as to put an end to a backlog of salary arrears in the state Okowa who expressed satisfaction with the huge crowd that turned out for the rally said he was not in doubt that Kogi State is a PDP state and urged them to display such support at the poll.
The National chairman of the party, Dr Iyorcha Ayu also told Kogites to vote for the party in the next general election saying it is only PDP that can put an end to the security problems in the country and stimulate the economy.
Hundreds of APC members use the occasion to defect to the opposition party including the deputy governor of Yahaya Bello in the first tenure, Simeon Achuba, the former speaker Umar Alfa and a former council chairman and strong Stalwart of the APC, Yahaya Karaku.
