Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa chapter of the Tinubu-Shettima Independent Campaign Council (ICC) has commenced a door-to-door, hamlet-to-hamlet and neighbourhood-to-neighbourhood (DDHHNN) campaign for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate.
The State Chairman of the council, Prince Preye Aganaba, said on Sunday in Yenagoa that the unique approach was initiated to spread the gospel of Tinubu’s competence, capacity, fitness and experience in all the nooks and crannies of Bayelsa.
Speaking when he led members of the state ICC to visit a former Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Werinipre Seibarugu in Yenagoa, Aganaba said the campaign approach would also help to correct misinformation, half-truth and outright lies against Tinubu.
He said their findings showed that persons against Tinubu’s candidature had not come to know him personally and only depended on lies told to them by opposition political leaders.
Aganaba said: “Our conviction springs from the fact that nobody will know the character, personality and competence of Tinubu without calling on him to lead this country. Nobody will know his qualities without falling in love with his leadership style.
“We believe that people must be informed so that they will stop speaking and acting out of ignorance. That is why we believe that we must meet people one-on-one to help them understand the person of Asiwaju and join the winning train,”.
Aganaba explained that the ICC was formed to complement the efforts of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) with a mandate to solicit votes at the grassroots and sensitise voters to increase APC support base.
He said: “The Bayelsa state Secretariat of the Tinubu/Shettima Grassroots Independent Campaign Council is up and running with state and ward coordinators already inaugurated.
“We are focused on increasing the healthy support base of our presidential candidate and canvassing for votes in the rural areas ahead of the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“We have found out that persons against our candidate don’t really know him. They speak and act based on lies told to them by mischief-makers. That is why we have launched the door-to-door, hamlet-to-hamlet and neighbourhood-to-neighbourhood (DDHHNN) campaign method to reach such persons.
“It is our belief that nobody will know the personality, competence and experience of Asiwaju without falling in love with his aspiration to lead the country at this time. It is our duty to reach people with the truth and correct misinformation, lies and half-truth against our candidate”.
Aganaba said the APC had been blessed with a presidential candidate, “who is savvy in governance with a plethora of outstanding projects to point at”, describing Tinubu as easy to sell.
He said: “APC aims to capture more states and win more seats at the Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assemblies in the 2023 general elections and the ICC will complement that effort with a vigorous grassroot campaign for Tinubu/Shettima ticket.”
Seibarugu, in his response, applauded the novel strategy and expressed optimism that it would translate to victory at the polls.