Upbeat by the outcome of the area councils elections held Saturday February 12 in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, has said the party’s victory marked the beginning of its rescue mission in the country.
The party put up a good showing, clinching three out of the six chairmanship seats, most significantly the Abuja Municipality Area Council, AMAC. The PDP also won in Kuje and Bwari area councils.
Expressing delight on Monday during the inauguration of Bayelsa Media Centre in Yenagoa to mark the second anniversary of the administration of Governor Douye Diri, Ayu said the victory showed that PDP was ready to return Nigeria to the era of good governance, away from the alleged maladministration of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government.
The chairman commended all PDP givernors for executing people-oriented projects in their states, which he noted, was the reason FCT residents gave the party massive votes, and other Nigerians yearning for its return to power at the centre.
Ayu said “I am very very proud of Governor Diri. It takes a man of singular commitment to do so much in such a short time.
“Diri came and stood on the shoulders of giants. Today, after two years, we are able to come here to inaugurate projects. This is how the governors of the PDP work. They don’t abandon their people to stay in Abuja to become chairman of their party.
“I thank all the governors of the PDP for the beautiful projects they are executing in their states. ‘Nigerians now know that PDP is ready and it is your work that made the people of the FCT to give us massive victory in the FCT Council elections.
“We won in AMAC, Kuje and Bwari. The other three LGAs they claimed we didn’t win, but we have evidence that we won and we will challenge it”.
The former senator also commended Diri for naming the Bayelsa State Media House after veteran journalist and pioneer Editor of Daily Times, late Ernest Ikoli.
According to him, “I am particularly happy that I am invited to inaugurate this project. Ernest Ikoli was not just a journalist but one of the greatest fighters for Nigeria’s independence.
“He was the leader of the Nigerian Youth Movement, and was later elected into parliament”.
In his remarks, the governor said he embarked on the project because of the dilapidated state of the broadcast outfit, and commended the contractors, a local engineering firm, for delivering the project before schedule.
Governor Diri said his administration had executed several life-changing projects in the last two years and thanked the people for their support.
The event was attended by Governors Ifeanyi Okowa, Bala Mohammed, Samuel Ortom, and Godwin Obaseki of Delta, Bauchi, Benue, and Edo States respectively.
Others were immediate past governor of the state, Senator Seriake Dickson, and James Manager, senator representing Delta south senatorial district.