Our Correspondent|19 January 2019
A pressure group known as Code 888 and made up of mostly youths has vowed to mobilise over one million (1,000,000) votes for the incumbent governor of Cross River State, Sen. Ben Ayade, PDP, in the March 2, 2019 polls.
The group, said to be pursuing equitable distribution of power across the 3 Senatorial Districts of the state on Friday through the Director General, Comrade Maurice Nkong, said the essence of the mobilisation is due to Ayade’s massive achievements in the past three and a half years.
Comrade Nkong who stated this during the flagging off of the Polling Unit 2 Polling Unit, PU2PU campaign by Code 888, said the one million votes will also play a part for PDP and its presidential candidate, HE Atiku Abubakar, to emerge victory this 2019.
He said, “As we're moving to the field, we have a target for a million votes for Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade and every other PDP candidates including the Presidential candidate of the PDP, HE Atiku Abubakar. We are doing Atiku, we are doing Ayade and our target is 1million out of 1.5million votes in Cross River State and we vowed to deliver. That is why we are going with the polling unit approach; Polling Unit 2 Polling Unit (PU2PU).”
Nkong added that, “We know that votes cannot be bought with placards on the streets or with billboards, votes can only be bought on the minds of the people and we are packaging the truth together and when we sell the truth, the truth will rose in it. So, we are going to every polling unit to talk to them tell them what the government has done and why they should vote His Excellency and why they should support Atiku Abubakar.
“We are sure that by God's grace, what we have done this past 3 years will be to provide more than one million votes,” he boasted.
The DG who defined the concept of Code 888 said that, “From the inception of democracy, power began in the Southern Senatorial District where His Excellency Mr. Donald Duke had 8 years to drive home his programmes and then the next 8 years we had power in the Central Senatorial District from HE Sen. Liyel Imoke who took out 8 years to drive home his own administration; he had an agenda to take leadership to the people in the rural area and he did it very well. Now we have another governor, HE Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade who is pursuing industrialisation agenda in Cross River State. That is why we want him to complete his 8 years too.”
On his part, Mr. Daniel Obo, Coordinator, PU2PU said they are working to ensure that their vote counts, adding that the PDP voting strength in Cross River State is far better than that of APC.
“We know that on 'one man, one vote' basis, His Excellency, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade will win and so we are going to the field to be sure that our vote counts, we are going to the field to be sure nobody takes away our votes, we are going to the field to be sure that there is no rancor in the cause of elections.”
He continued, “People need to understand that it is a game of numbers. And for us to prove to the world that actually the number of PDP in Cross River State is above the one of APC, all we need is to protect our votes, that is all. In the entire voting strength of the State, PDP has the highest voting number and we're going to consolidate on that.”
Obo said why they are canvassing for Ayade is because of his performance in the first four years, compared the government of former Governor Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke. “The reason we are doing this is because Ayade has done more in the first 4 years and his first 4 years is more productive than any other governments.
“And for we as a generation, the reason why they are pursuing him is because he gave us an opportunity as youths to be part of his government and we make up 80% of the voters, so we are going out to be sure that this 80% votes appreciate Ayade for getting youths involved in government.”
Meanwhile, Hon. Peter Ojie, SSA Political to Governor Ben Ayade, while urging the teaming youths to seize their moments said he's never seen a political group so organised and coordinated like Code 888.
He advised them not to be allowed to be used by politicians as the days where young people were used and dumped during elections are gone.
His words, “What attracted me to this particular support group is the fact that you're very well designed and focused from the very beginning. Your leadership is exemplary, very focus, very purpose driven.
“You believe in equity, you believe in fairness and you believe in justice. As young people, once you recognise this 3 cardinal principles and embrace it, whatever you doing, the sky will be your limit.
“Over the very many years that I have had opportunity to interact and manage elections in Cross River State, I am yet to find a group that is organised as this one.”
He added that, “The main focus for this campaign and election is in the polling unit – the moment you can get it right at the polling unit, then you've won the election.”
The event was attended by High Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong, who was represented by Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr. as Chairman, Member representing Ogoja State Constituency, Hon. Peter Odey, Member representing Calabar Municipality State Constituency, Hon. Efa Esua and several others.