It berated the PDP officials for deriding last Saturday’s March for Change, which the office staged in the Centre of Excellence to drum up support for the the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari; his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo; and other candidates of the party in Lagos.
Coordinator of the office and House of Representatives member, James Abiodun Faleke, dismissed the duo of Fani-Kayode and Adeyeye as liabilities of no political consequences to the ambition of their principal.
Faleke’s reaction was contained in a ‘Thank You’ statement to Lagosians for identifying with the APC without coercion but out of their desire for progress, traced the comments from Fani-Kayode and Adeyeye to intimidation by the turnout of Lagosians on Saturday, 7th March, 2015.
The Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Coordinator described what he called a freedom walk from the Maryland Junction to Surulere as highly successful.
According to him, it was expected of the PDP to feel jittery having seen the massive turnout and the outpouring of support demonstrated by Lagosians who trooped out en masse for the APC.
His words: “It is instructive that this show of support came barely a week after the relocation of Mr. President to Lagos for two consecutive weekends. While Mr. President hid in the State House where he clandestinely induced the electorate with money, the APC launched out with confidence in the open and the people identified with us because they see our party as the vehicle of change and progress.”
Fani-Kayode had described the March for Change of the APC as a flop; Adeyeye lashed out at Lagosians for supporting Tinubu, alleging that participants were tipped with N5, 000 each and Gani doubted the calim that more than a million people participated in the walk.
The PDP spokesman said the APC rally couldn’t have recorded such turnout since the Teslim Balogun Stadium where the walk terminated has capacity to accommodate only 25,000 spectators.
But Faleke, who branded the trio of Fani-Kayode, Adeyeye and Taofeek as ‘busy bodies’, said the walk from Maryland Junction through Ikorodu Road to the stadium at Ojuelegba, Surulere on Lagos mainland, was streamed live on a cable television for the whole world to see.
He said: “I wonder why they are crying more than the bereaved, challenging the critics to stage similar rallies in their respective constituencies to demonstrate their strength for the candidates of their party.
“Those are the reactions of a jittery and desperate party. It is unfortunate that those who have no political base are the ones criticising a well-attended March where Lagosians, from all walks of life showed their love and renewed support for change represented by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Prof Yemi Osinbajo.
He thanked Lagosians for the show of love and support for our great party –the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the March. We are reassuring them that the APC will not let them down.
Faleke said: “We appreciate their unconditional response to the clarion call sense of patriotism to join the rescue mission without inducement and without stomach infrastructure.
“We asked for one million, the turn out we recorded was over two million. We also appreciate our leaders who demonstrated their fitness and offered a good example by enduring the 9.2-kilometre walk for freedom.
“We are urging Nigerians to go out on March 28 to vote the presidential candidate of the APC and other national Assembly flag bearers. They should repeat same on April 11.
“They have demonstrated their preference for change and that is the menu the APC is bringing to the table come May 29. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a sinking ship and Nigerians must sweep it away with votes on the rescheduled election days.”
The main opposition parties, APC and PDP, have, these days been doing a lot to smear the reputation of the other. A few days ago, it was reported that the PDP accused Buhari of paying huge sums of money to secure the presidential ticket of his party.
Recall that the One-Million Man March for Change was spearheaded by Governor Fashola; Osun state governor, Rauf Aregbesola; the Lagos state APC governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode; and the vice-presidential candidate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, took the route of Maryland through Allen Avenue and ended up behind Shoprite, Alausa. The march was inaugurated by the former governor of Lagos state, Bola Ahmed Tinubu."
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