LESS
than four days to the governorship and House of Assembly elections, the
two major political parties, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All
Progressives Congress (APC) have intensified their campaigns and
strategies to win the polls in Rivers State.
Amid the violence and enormous challenges confronting the two parties,
they have painstakingly resorted to drawing up strategies and travelling
to the nooks and crannies of the state wooing the electorates.
Over the years, politicians never had time to take campaigns to the
people at the rural communities and even when they did, it was without
seriousness. However, this time, the candidates have deemed it necessary
to go down to the grass-roots for votes.
Campaign styles
Currently, the PDP and APC are locked in serious campaigns ahead of
Saturday’s polls. After the presidential polls, the two parties are on
edge moving about for support.
Campaign strategies being adopted by the two parties include ward
rallies, door-to-door, mouth-to-mouth, the use of religious leaders to
woo worshippers and moving market visits.
Ward rallies
The candidate of the APC, Dr Dakuku Peterside, his running-mate,
Honourable Asita and their Greater Together Campaign Organisation have
travelled to over 312 wards in the state in their ward rallies. The team
has succeeded in making itself relevant in all the wards in the state.
The PDP has also adopted this approach and is touring all parts of the state.
Ward-to ward rally is one of the tactics that the APC and the PDP have
introduced again into their campaign system. Through this approach the
two contenders have travelled to the wards that make up the state. They
use this medium to ask questions about the communities as well make
campaign promises. In their visits to the wards, they ensure that the
crowd is actively mobilized to represent the strength of their support
in that area.
The candidate of the APC who has concluded a tour of all the wards in
the state has boasted that he has immense support in all the wards.
Door-to-door campaign
The PDP Candidate, Barr Nyesom Wike through his Campaign Council
introduced Door-to-door campaign. This tactic is targeted at meeting
families in the communities.
The APC too has also adopted this strategy. Door-to-door is put on
ground for the party leaders in each ward to perfect. The leaders use
this medium to meet with the families in their wards to tell them the
need to vote for their candidates.
Person-to-person campaign
Similarly, the mouth-to-mouth or person-to-person campaign as called by
both parties is used to get to individuals. The parties are ensuring
that they speak to individuals in each community before Saturday.
Religious leaders in the state are indirectly being used as campaign
channels by the two parties. Although, the campaign of both parties
started from the church, the candidates have intensified their visits to
the churches in the state seeking for endorsements from the men of God
and support of the congregation.
Market visits
In an unusual manner, the candidates and their deputies are also going
to markets to canvass for votes. Some traders have expressed surprise
that politicians now enter the same markets with them.
Multi-lingual campaign
To make the campaigns sink deeper, Dakuku and Wike now speak all the
languages that exist in the state. They do these to gain the attention
of their listeners. Before going to any ward, they ensure that they know
the language of the people to be visited that day. This is to get the
crowd directly in their own language.
Presidential Polls Score
APC: 6, 238
PDP: 1, 487, 075
Please vote PDP. .amechi must go
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