Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) committee to raise fund for the Presidential campaign against next year’s elections, Professor Jerry Gana has warned the party not to take the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) for granted.
Gana, who announced a personal donation of N5 Billion to the fund, at the launching of it in the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Saturday asked the party not to underestimate the opposition, saying that unlike the previous elections, 2015 will be keenly contested.
He emphasised that 2015 election would be very competitive even as he charged the party to use its campaign to show Nigerians what it had achieved for the country in the last 16 years.
“Let me use this opportunity to say that the forthcoming general election is essentially going to be a two-party affair. It will be very competitive.
“I therefore appeal to the leadership of our great party that we must not take things for granted. We must campaign. We must not underestimate the opposition. We have to show people what we have done in the last 16 years.
“Having a very good candidate is very important and I can tell everyone that our presidential candidate is good.”
He expressed fear however that the party’s primaries which were held across the country recently had widened the gulf within the party in some states.
Gana therefore warned PDP’s leadership against imposing unpopular candidates on Nigerians.
“I must tell you that we have serious challenges and difficulties in a number of states arising from the primaries. And I want to appeal that our party’s leadership must not impose unpopular candidates on the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He expressed confidence that PDP would coast home to victory at the polls.
This was even as the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, said the party needed financial resources to prosecute the 2015 general elections.
A total of 21 Billion was realised at the launching, with Chief Tunde Ayeni opening the donations with N1 billion on behalf of himself and his group of friends. He also announced the donation of another N2 billion on behalf of a different group of friends he said came from across the country.
The National Automotive Council donated N450 million even as PDP Governors’ Forum, represented by the Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, announced a donation of N50 million by each of the 21 PDP state governors, making a total N1.05 billion. Yuguda was supported by the governors of Cross River, Bayelsa, and Gombe states while announcing the donation.
Bola Shagaya from Kwara state representing oil and gas industry donated N5 billion while the construction sector donated N310 million.
The chairman of Deep Offshore, Didi Ndimou, representing the Transport and Aviation sector donated N1 billion. The real estate sector represented by Oluchi Okoye donated N4 billion while the food and agricultural sector, represented by Chief Ominife Uzoegbu donated N500 million.
Also making donation are among others, Cizaly Ltd, N250 million while the representatives of the power sector led by Tunde Ayeni donated N500 million.
Others include the National Association of Stevedores’ Companies, N25 million; former governor of Ebonyi State, Sam Egwu, N1 million; Halima Jubril, N5 million and Ajuji Best Western Hotel, N1 million.
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