Politics
Okupe blames Nasarawa govt for low turnout at presidential campaign rally
The Director of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, on Friday, blamed the Nasarawa State government for the low turnout of the party’s supporters at the flag-off of the presidential campaign in Lafia, Nasarawa, last Saturday.
Many Nigerians, especially members of the ruling party and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) berated the Labour Party for the low turnout of people at the event.
Okupe, who featured in a Channels Television Programme, Hard Copy, claimed APC-led government in the state granted his party late approval for the campaign programme.
The LP chieftain noted the large percentage of the people who were able to attend the event were mobilized by the party’s support groups in the state.
He, however, said the party was determined to win next year’s election.
Okupe said: “You will not believe it that we didn’t get the final permit for the landing of the helicopter of our principals for the event until Saturday morning.
READ ALSO: APC’s Lagos rally a street show, shabby catch-up game — Doyin Okupe
“We had sent a 22-member advance team to the venue but for 48 hours we couldn’t do anything because we couldn’t even get permits to use the three or four venues we have chosen. The government was not available to give us permission. But for the intervention of the very high-level royal people in Lafia, that rally would not have been held.
“The master blow dealt at us was that in Nasarawa, for the past seven or eight years, nobody has ever heard of environmental sanitation. But the government from nowhere on Thursday declared that the Saturday of our rally was environmental sanitation day, and declared a curfew the night before Saturday until 10:00 a.m. of the day. The people seen at the venue were brought together by our support group. 90 percent of our supporters couldn’t even come.
“So these things happened. Nevertheless, this is the beginning. We give glory to God.”
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