PDP govs vow to maintain lead during poll

State governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday promised to return to their states and work hard to ensure that the party maintains its lead across the country during the April 11 governorship and state houses of assembly elections.

Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Chief Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of a meeting the governors had with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Akpabio said they visited the President to show solidarity with him and  promise him that they would remain undaunted by the fate that befell the party during the last presidential election.

He said the governors also commended Jonathan for his statesmanship after the result of the election was released.

He said, “We as governors came to assure him (the President) that we are going back as field commanders to hold our states and that come April 11, PDP will still maintain its lead across Nigeria.

“Everybody knows that the only party that is national in nature and is on ground is the PDP. So we are not going to be undaunted by what has happened.

“The party has already indicated that it will explore all legal means in order to ensure redress. So, we are also proud of the party and we want to congratulate all our voters and all PDP faithfuls across Nigeria for their peaceful disposition.

“This is the only party that has not carried stick to break somebody’s windscreen after election. Because of the sacrificial stand of the President, our faithfuls are not on the streets, breaking APC windscreens and vehicles.

“If it were to be the other way round, you know what would have happened today. That is where Nigerians must judge: we want peace, stability and unity.”

Akpabio said the governors were impressed because Jonathan did what no African leader had ever done.

He said it was commendable that despite the flawed nature of the election, the President said he remained committed to ensuring peace and stability of the country.

Other governors who attended the meeting were Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe); Ramalan Yero (Kaduna); Lyel Imoke (Cross River); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Sullivan Chime (Enugu); Jonah Jang (Plateau); Martin Elechi (Eboyin); and Idris Wada (Kogi),

PDP governors who were not at the meeting included Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Isa Yuguda (Bauchi); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Ibrahim Shema (Katsina); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and Ayo Fayose (Ekiti).

Among the absentees, only Fayose delivered his state for the President during the Saturday’s presidential election.