By Emmanuel Oloniruha
The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to improve security of the country, when elected as president of the country, for people to peacefully pursue their aspirations.
Atiku, speaking at the PDP campaign rally in Abuja on Saturday, also promised to tackle the challenges of out-of-school children.
“We have pledged to restore security, it is very essential that we give everybody peace – a farmer peace to go to the farm, a trader peace to trade – peace to everybody.
“It is only when there is peace that we can undertake our different aspirations.
“We have promised that education is key to youth development. We have the highest number of out of school children.
“We will make sure that these children go back to school.
“Not only that, we will make sure that our universities reopen forever and ever.”
Atiku also promised to meet the demands of the FCT original inhabitants and other provisions made for them in the constitution.
“If you give us your support again, we will do more than what we did between 1999 and 2015 for the residents of Abuja.
“All your entitlements under the current constitution, all the appointments that belong to Abuja will be given to Abuja.
“You know that we have done so before and we are going to do so again.
“If what you demanded requires constitutional review, we assure you that we shall support that constitutional review so that your aspirations are protected and guaranteed in our new constitution.
“More so, we have pledged to restructure this country; in the process of restructuring, we shall give you all that you are demanding,” Abubakar said.
The Presidential Running Mate, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, said that PDP was on rescue mission, working with Nigerian youths, women and men.
Okowa said that Abubakar was ready to lead the country to the level where its economy would be booming again.
He urged women and youths to canvass for votes for PDP from house to house, market to market.
“At this moment we require a man with great experience to lead us as a country,” he said.
The PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, urged Nigerians to vote Abubakar and other PDP candidates to address the current challenges of the country.
Ayu said that when elected, Abubakar would continue from where he stopped when he was vice president of the country.
“He was the vice-president in charge of the national economy under former President Olusegun Obasanjo; he knows what to do.
“We don’t want an experimental president, we don’t want a president who will come and deceive you and would not know what to do,” Ayu said.
The Chairman, Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, said that the PDP would restore the lost glory of Nigeria, when elected.
Emmanuel said that Abubakar was to tackle youth unemployment, restiveness and revivive Nigeria’s economy.
“He was in the saddle for eight years as the Chairman of the National Economic Council and that is Atiku.
“Atiku is ready to recover the lost glory of the country; in terms of national policies, international policies, Nigeria is taking a back stage.
“With Atiku as president we will be recognised again internationally, our policies will take us back to the right place.
“We bring you the only man that is standing out among the rest, that is head high above all in terms of capacity, what he has done before,” Udom said.
He appealed to the youths not just to complain but to go and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), saying “it is your power, use it to vote for PDP and Atiku”.
The Director-General of PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Aminu Tambuwal, said when elected, Abubakar would provide real leadership, reunification, restructuring and recovery of Nigeria from all its challenges.
Tambuwal urged the people of FCT to vote for “Abubakar who knows the challenges of the territory and their original occupiers”.
“The candidates that are running for the presidency of Nigeria are very well known to every Nigerian. I’m sure you know whom the cap fits and it is of course, Atiku Abubakar.
“Abubakar has experienced governance at the National level, at the federal level.
“He is very familiar with the issues of the FCT and I am sure, he will address all of that when he comes on stage.
“Let me reassure you that this team being led by the unifier, is prepared from day one, to provide real leadership, for the reunification, restructuring, re-securing and for the recovery of Nigeria from all its challenges,” Tambuwal said.
The Minority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Philip Aduda and Chairman PDP, FCT Chapter, Sunday Zakka, pledged that the people of FCT would deliver for PDP in the 2023 general elections.
Aduda said that the FCT had always been PDP party and 2023 would not be an exception.
PDP National Youth Leader, Muhammed Suleiman, also urged the youth to collect their PVC and vote for PDP.
(NAN)
