Press Releases

Anambra Guber-Election: “Defend Your Votes, Your Victory”, Fashola Urges The People
• As Onitsha stands still for Action Congress Candidate, Chris Ngige

Jan 28, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Thursday called on Action Congress (AC) supporters in Anambra State to defend their votes and their victory during the February 6th governorship election in the state just as the party rallied in Onitsha in support of its candidate in the election, Dr. Chris Ngige.

Governor Fashola said, while addressing thousands of Party supporters at a political rally in Onitsha, the commercial capital of Anambra State, that victory in the forthcoming election belongs to the Action Congress but the people must be vigilant and ensure that their votes count.

Speaking alongside his immediate predecessor in office, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, and other top party leaders who stormed the State to support the party candidate, the Lagos State Governor declared, “This election is in our hands, but we have work to do”, adding that the people must monitor their votes until the final victory.

The Governor noted that all the love shown by the various segments of the people for Dr. Ngige as witnessed by the Party leaders was because of the performance of the AC candidate while he ruled Anambra State as Governor adding that he cleared arrears of pension, teachers’ salaries, built roads and generally changed the history of Anambra State.

“Our leaders have told you, as we leave this place, go from house to house, tell all Anambrarians to stand up and come out on the sixth of February to claim their birth right”, Governor Fashola urged adding that Anambra people could never have a better choice than Dr. Ngige as governor of the state.

According to Governor Fashola, “This is the man of character; this is the man of courage. This man, as Governor, they withdrew his police, they burnt his house, but he stood up to defend all of you and at the same time he was serving everybody, he was also fighting to protect Anambra from oppression”.

The Governor further noted, “Some of the people who now say they want to serve you were in that government of oppression. They did not have the courage to speak up. Ngige alone had the courage to speak up”.

“Go out there on the Election Day and as you are going, carry your food and your water. When you carry food, let your neighbour carry water and let another carry ‘ojii’ (kolanut) so that you will not sleep because it is going to be a long day and a long night. Stay there, don’t leave because you are hungry, until the deed is done”, the Governor counseled.

Wishing the people good luck and promising to come back during the inauguration of the AC Candidate as Governor of the State, Governor Fashola again warned, “It is not all about money. If you complain that they rigged the election, it is you who allowed them. We came here so that we will tell you how to do it. Enlighten yourselves on the right place to thumb print. If you are paid as agent, stay there, do not leave it. Ensure that INEC records the results”.

In his address earlier, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu told the cheering crowd, “We want to change Nigeria, we want the people to get jobs, we want Nigerians to feel free and safe; we have done it in Lagos State, we are doing it in Edo State and we hope to do it in Ekiti, Osun and Anambra states”.

Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, in his address, extolled the virtues of Dr. Ngige, pointing out that the former governor opened up the different parts of the state by constructing good roads and markets as well as linked the different communities which hitherto had no roads.

Other Party leaders who addressed the rally included former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Chief Tom Ikimi, Senator Ben Obi, and numerous other top Party leaders.