A member of the House of Representatives, Farah Dagogo, that was prosecuted by the Rivers State Government this year for allegedly promoting cultism in the state, has declared support for the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
Farah Dagogo who represents Degema/ Bonny Federal Constituency said a 10-million-man-march for Atiku and Okowa will be held in the coming days across the Niger Delta States to prove to naysayers that the region is for the PDP.
Dagogo in a statement by his Media Aide, Ibrahim Lawal, dismissed fears of protest votes from the region against the PDP as a result of the party’s presidential primary saying “the Niger Delta has been a traditional stronghold of the PDP from 1999 till date and 2023 will not be an exception”.
He said the people of the Niger Delta remember and hold the PDP in awe as the only party that ensured the region produced the President of the country through Goodluck Jonathan.
“Let no one be deceived; conducting elections in Nigeria has metamorphosed, the voting power is with the people. No one can order anyone around, on who to vote or not, no matter how highly placed, because the people are the deciders with their PVCs and votes.
“PDP has been true and fair to our people. It was by the means of this party that we clinched the President’s seat in this country through our son, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, among several other benefits.
“We are at an advanced stage in plans for a ten million man march for Atiku and Okowa across the States of the Niger Delta, particularly Rivers State. We have spoken with the people, those that will vote, the real voters with PVCs, not political sycophants, and we have been able to galvanise a lot of them. In the coming days, we will take over the streets of the Niger Delta states and publicly demonstrate that support. That will also prove to the naysayers that the region is for PDP.”
He said Atiku will win and it will be in the interest of those who do not want to be left behind to board or be cast in the dustbin of political history.
There has been an uneasy calm in the PDP, occasioned by the frosty relationship between Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who both took part in the party’s presidential primary in May, which was won by Atiku.
Farah Dagogo who is declaring support for Atiku was in April declared wanted by Governor Nyesom Wike for allegedly sponsoring a group of cultists to attack the state secretariat of the PDP in Port Harcourt, during the screening of some legislative aspirants for the party’s primaries.
The Federal Lawmaker who at the time was a governorship aspirant of the PDP in Rivers State was arrested about four days after he was declared wanted at the South-South Zonal office of the PDP in Port Harcourt where he had gone to participate in the screening of Governorship Aspirants from the zone.
He was, however, granted bail to the tune of 20 million naira by a high court in Port Harcourt, after about a month of a twisted and dramatic trial.