Wale Akintunde reports the inaugural campaign of Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako, in Yola, the state capital, ahead of the 2012 gubernatorial election in the state.THE setting in Adamawa Statelast Wednesday, when the PDP gubernatorial candidate and incumbent governor, Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako, formerly kick started his journey to seek a second term, was ecstatic . From the preceding weekend to the early start of the week, the state capital, Yola, had started to wear a new look. Patches of road maintenance officers and their workers were busy mending bad portions of the road in anticipation of the very important personalities expected to grace the occasion; roads from the Yola Airport, through Galadima Aminu way, as well as those around the Mahmud Ribadu Square, venue of the campaign flag off, were all touched to create a befitting road network for those coming in.Very early in the early hours of the day, the usual presence of security personnel was visible all over Yola. Most adjourning roads to the Mahmud Ribadu Square were blocked, while motor movements were also restricted in some areas. While some pessimists were of the belief that the noticeable presence of security personnel might reduce the turn out of people, their thoughts later turned out a mirage, as people who really meant business, rather than being disillusioned, trooped out in their thousands t o witness the ground-breaking event.Dressed in their various uniforms and a with bold inscriptions of their identities, they all got thems elves seated in the places already prepared for them. The crowd that day was one of the largest, if not the largest, attendance at a political gathering in the state.By 2.45p.m when the Vice President Architect Namadi Sambo and his entourage arrived the Mahmud Ribadu Square venue, there was pandemonium all over the arena, as people started in wild jubilation that, at last, the moment they were waiting for had come. Alhaji Abdulrahman Abba Jimeta, Adamawa State Commissioner for Information, Youth Sports and Culture, had done the work of master of ceremony very well, long before the coming of the Federal Government delegation.The well gifted and eloquent Adamawa government spokesman really gave a good account of himself, as he articulated all the numerous achievements of the Nyako administration and other necessary information about the potentials of the Land of Beauty, Sunshine and Hospitality.And when the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed, finally took over, he went straight into the business of the day, formally announcing the presence of all dignitaries present at the occasion.First to come on the podium was Alhaji Mijinyawa Kugama, state chairman of the party, who formally welcomed the vice president and other dignitaries as well as the entire gathering. He enumerated the standing of the PDP in Adamawa, noting that it was an indivisible entity. The Adamawa PDP chairman did not forget to repeat his earlier statement on the non-vacancy in the Dougirei Government House, saying that Governor Murtala was the only candidate in the race.He said the PDP was the only party in Adamawa State and promised that the party would win again. 'As we did in the re-run election, we shall win again this time around by one hundred per cent,' he said.Chairman of the occasion and Taraba State governor, Danbaba Suntai, while speaking on behalf of his Bauchi, Gombe and Sokoto State counterparts, said their colleague had performed creditably well, and should be given a second chance.He told the large crowd of party supporters that the presence of he and other governors was a show of solidarity to Governor Murtala Nyako, whom they knew had done so well to deserve a second term.For his part, Chief Paul Wampana, Vice-Chairman, PDP North-East zone, showered encomiums on Murtala Nyako. 'It is a known fact that when Nyako came on board, roads in Adamawa State were bent; there was no water and most public infrastructure were dilapidated, while the agricultural sectors was also in a bad shape. Also, Alhaji Bello Tukur, former deputy governor to Boni Haruna, and immediate past Chief of Staff to Governor Nyako and now a serving senator representing the Adamawa Central District in the Senate said, 'Our gathering today is just a mere formality because Nyako has already been returned as governor for a second term.''Also speaking in the same vein, a former senator representing the Adamawa Northern Senatorial zone and a former governor of Plateau State, Brigadier Mohammed Mana (rtd), harped on the provision of adequate security for the lives and properties of the people of Adamawa State by the Nyako administration. According to him, 'Nyako has also done very well in his youth empowerment programmes.' He urged the people to vote for him.Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was heralded to the podium with a loud ovation and vivacious claps. The former Number Two citizen, with his good mastery of protocol, was very brief and straight to the point in his address. He said since the creation of the PDP, it was the only viable party, and all those who had left were back, noting that this was a good omen for Governor Nyako ahead of the January 14 2012 gubernatorial election.The Turaki Adamawa, who had earlier directed his campaign structures be fused with the Nyako/Ngillari campaign organisation in order to strengthen the prospects of victory for the incumbent governor, urged the people to remember all the good things that Nyako had done and support him to win the election. On the opposition, he said all those in the Congress for Political Change (CPC) were members of the PDP and would surely come back into the fold, assuring President Goodluck Jonathan that in 2012 the people would vote the PDP back to power in the state.Next to mount the podium was the Director General of Nyako, Chief Felix Tangwami, whom political observers believe has a tremendous influence cutting across political strata and divide. Amidst a thunderous ovation from the excited vociferous crowd of party faithful at the venue, Tangwami said when he was given the challenge as the Director General to market Nyako, he had no goose principles because he had the belief that his job would not be difficult to prosecute.According to him, Governor Murtala Nyako was a very good product to market because of his past achievements as a former military governor, a former member of the nation's highest ruling body Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), a former Chief of Naval Staff and also a former Chief of Defence Staff.Apart from this, he said Nyako had done very well in the area of poverty eradication in the state, improvement in the education sector, improvement in the construction and rehabilitation of roads, total overhauling of the health sector through the provision of the health care to children between the ages of 0-5 years and nursing mothers in the state.'His rapid improvement in the agricultural sector, with the provision of farming and training skills acquisition centres in all the local government areas, among others, no doubt have endeared the governor to the people. He has demonstrated statesmanship and visionary leadership. Governor Nyako has done well in terms of cordiality with the poor, and fulfilled his campaign promises.''Chief Tangwami then urged all those seeking to become the next governor of Adamawa State to wait till 2015 before showing interest ''because, right now, there is no vacancy.''While speaking, Nyako himself went down the memory lane of the advent of late president Yaradua whose vision for the country was untimely cut short by his demise, he however, said that President Goodluck Jonathan was a very dependable ally who had tenaciously and vigorously continued with the vision of the late president. He thanked all those present for their support so far, while assuring them that if given the mandate for a second term, he would improve on all that he had been able to achieve, so that more democratic dividends would be delivered to the people.Then came the moment being awaited as the vice-president, Namadi Sambo, came on the podium. He expressed the sincere apologies of Mr president for being unable to come personally. He, however, assured that President Goodluck Jonathan would be storming the state for the grand finale in three weeks' time, to the admiration of the vociferous crowd who applauded with a deafening ovation.Sambo said he was very delighted with the people of the state, having simplified his job by trooping out in their thousands for the kick-off of the campaign.He described Nyako as a good governor that kept promises and the programmes and policies of the PDP.
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