By Ogochukwu Isioma
Nigerians have been assured that the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar-Ifeanyi Okowa presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections will truly rescue Nigeria with a pragmatic approach to the mission.
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, gave the assurance on Friday while speaking on a live television programme “Focus Today” on African Independent Television (AIT).
He said that PDP Federal Government would leverage on the acknowledged experience and capacity of its flag-bearer in redeeming the country, especially in addressing the dwindling economy, unabating insecurity, unemployment and poverty.
He said that Nigerians were eager for a change in governance in the country because they had gone through very frustrating experience, particularly in the key sectors that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) promised to deal with in the last seven years, but had failed abysmally.
According to him, the issues of security, building the economy and the anti-corruption war has heightened the expectations of Nigerians and now the people expect that there will be changes because the APC failed to deliver on their campaign promises.
“Beyond members of our party, Nigerians believe that the PDP should get it right as the major option for the people ahead of the 2023 general election.
“Our economy is at its lowest ebb, corruption and the need to curb it and the issue of hunger, poverty and unemployment as people are no longer sure of where their next meal will come from.
These are some of the issues that leaders must interrogate as we move closer to the 2023 general elections.
“It will no longer be business as usual, it is not enough to identify these challenges, leaders must tell Nigerians how they intend to address them.
“I am confident that the PDP candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta have articulated the issues they want to tackle and how they intend to rescue the country,”
The Delta Information Commissioner said Atiku was instrumental to the growth of the economy during the Obasanjo regime, adding that Governor Okowa has brought his administrative and political sagacity to bear on the economy of Delta in the last seven years.
He said the Atiku-Okowa ticket will return the party to winning ways and the country to the path of development which had eluded the country in the last seven years.
“The Atiku-Okowa ticket has the needed experience to turn things around for this country because Nigeria is like a patient in an emergency room, you need a doctor who is well equipped to go and carry out the operation to rescue the country,” he stated.
Aniagwu further said the party has commenced a hunt for credible Nigerians across political, religious or ethnic sentiments to give strength to its recovery plan for Nigeria.
“What Atiku and Okowa want to do is not what you are used to. They want to look at the elements in the youths; that vibrancy…. The Atiku/Okowa ticket will return power to the youths and appreciate the role and position of women”.
On the capacity of Governor Okowa to galvanize votes for the PDP, Aniagwu said that beyond Okowa’s acceptability, he valued consensus and does not run a one-man show.
‘’This means that Okowa will work with other leaders in the south and across the country to galvanize the voters. He believes that to have an inroad in Rivers State, for example, he will need leaders led by Wike to get the votes.
‘’Okowa will work with Wike very well. Okowa will also reach out to our brothers and sisters in the South-west and in the South-east which is already happening. The challenge at hand is not a one-man show’’ he said.
Responding to the northern/southern dichotomy in the emergence of Nigeria’s next president, Mr Aniagwu enjoined Nigerians to move away from such divisive tendencies as purportedly encouraged by the current Federal Government.
‘’We agree that the Buhari administration has not been able to open up our system for us to appreciate our diversity rather, they took advantage of this diversity in the wrong way. Atiku and Okowa will make this diversity work for us positively.
‘’Everybody knows Atiku as a man who is much detribalized and Okowa as a man who believes that everybody has a role to play irrespective of tribe. When you have these two individuals who are open and believe in the strength of everybody, it is an advantage.
‘’Development-wise, what we have done in Delta State and what Atiku did with former President Olusegun Obasanjo is enough for them to know that there is something new that is coming on the horizon” he said.
