Why PDP, others can’t be underestimated -Shettima


 
Borno state Governor Kashim Shettima says the All Progressives Congress (APC) can only lose the February 16 and March general elections if they take the PDP and other contenders for granted. Sadiq Abubakar writes.

Only APC can hurt itself

Inaugurating the APC’s Campaign Council, the governor told party leaders and stakeholders that only two mistakes could stand between the party and victory in the forthcoming general elections. However, he said the resolve to carefully select members of the campaign council was largely borne out of the need for the members of the committee to hit the ground running and ensure that all nooks and crannies are mapped out for strategic campaigns.

“There are two mistakes we should never make. The first mistake will be to underestimate our opponents in any party. There are those who have assumed that I, Kashim Shettima, underrate opponents. They say so because they don’t know me well enough. I do not underrate opponents. What I do is to foresee opponents and neutralize them long before the contest. 

“There were those who thought I was being naive by the way we have been handling things but as Allah would ordain it, the more they underestimate us, the more we succeed. And we succeed without being arrogant. We recognized that no one succeeds alone. So, I do not underrate opponents.

“In fact, I overestimate them and that is why I do always work well ahead. Even with the immense popularity of President Muhammadu Buhari, I want us to campaign vigorously and mobilize votes for him. I also want us to know, that helping Buhari will not be limited to getting him serious votes. It will also entail mobilizing and working legally to deny his opponents votes in the state.

Don’t work against APC

The second mistake we should never make is for anyone to nurse the intention of working against any APC candidate in anyway. As stakeholders, you should bear in mind that, your political reputation rests with your collaborative effort to win all elections within your area.

According to the governor it would be suicidal to concede defeat in certain areas because of the strategic importance of such places. For instance, losing MMC, Chibok, Hawul, Askira Uba, Biu or anywhere to PDP will only make stakeholders from these local government areas to lose the legitimacy of bargaining for any political privileges within the APC in Borno State, according to the governor.

Don’t underrate electorate

Governor Shettima stretched the matter further by insisting that no member of the campaign council should take any voter for granted because without them no political office holder has any relevance. He said what makes any politician thick is not the depth of his pocket or his eloquence but the ability to connect with the people at the grassroots and then grow same to ma cult figure if possible.

“Moreover, you should always bear in mind that the electorate are not robots that you tell to vote the APC in one ballot paper and vote PDP in another ballot paper. From history, anti-party activities are never hidden and they have unpredictable outcomes.

“And I think one question we should ask is what if we work against any of our candidates and yet he or she wins? When you work against someone and he or she wins an election, it automatically means that you are not relevant. I think it is wiser to help someone you disagree with to win the election so that at least, you have something to boast before such person.

“I have sounded these notes of caution not based on any particular realities but based on hypothetical possibilities that are inherent in Borno’s democratic experiences. I urge all of us to bury whatever grievances we have and work together. There are some candidates who were angered in 2015 after losing out”, he said.

Unity best weapon against opponents

Speaking on the essence of the flag off campaign, he said they flag bearers of the party must work for each other. “We should always remember that the APC is a vehicle on a journey with all of us on board. When a vehicle is moving with you, it will be suicidal to remove any part of that vehicle otherwise everyone will crash. Perhaps, the person who removes the part of the moving vehicle could be the first casualty. Allah Ya kiyaye!” he said.

He took time off to speak on the accident that occurred when pavilion at Ramat Square collapsed during the APC Presidential and governorship campaign rally attended by President Muhammadu Buhari in Maiduguri leading to the death of some persons.

“I will like to once again, extend our heartfelt grief over the tragic collapse of a pavilion at the Ramat square during the campaign rally. As we know, the collapse was due to high number of people some of whom took the adventurous risk of climbing the roof top. The initial brief I received from the honourable Commissioner of health the night of the incident was that no death was recorded.

“We mourn the demise of these fellow citizens and great supporters of the President and our party. We share the pains of their loved ones. We equally wish those injured a very speedy and full recovery” Shettima said.

The Governor, however, appealed to aggrieved members of the party reflect on the tragic incident at the rally to see the need to forgive one another. 

“I think the tragic incident at Ramat Square last week should send a message to all of us. I am aware that a number of us have various degrees of grievances. Some complain about failed ambitions. Some complain about appointments, some about contracts. Some of those who have been elected or appointed even complain about the offices they occupy or certain expectations they had.

“They came and they died supporting our party. We didn’t even know them before they died for the party. That singular incident should make all of us here grateful to Allah for the opportunities He has given us to serve our people while earning our living. We should be grateful”, he lamented.

Shettima insisted on unity by urging all to bury their swords, forgive where there was any cause for anger, misgiving and unnecessary wrangling.

“It will also form part of our gratitude to forgive one another and work together for our party. For those of us being inaugurated as members of the campaign council, I will like us to make it our duty to see ourselves as being lower than our members and supporters, the electorates.

“Those of us being inaugurated should see it as responsibility to persuade all other stake-holders, all party members, all party supporters and all citizens. Every member of the campaign council should regard his or herself as a marketer that is out to sell brands. These brands are our candidates for presidential, governorship, national and state assembly elections on February 16 and March 2nd, 2019″ Shettima said.

Leave a Reply