For allegedly deceived Nigerians with unfulfilled promises, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate for next year’s election and former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar insisted in Ibadan today that President Muhammadu Buhari must not be reelected in 2019.
Atiku gave this charge to supporters of the party from the South-West states of the country, consisting of Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Osun and Ekiti who had converged on the ancient Mapo Hall in the Oyo State capital for his presidential campaign in the zone.
At the campaign, which had in attendance the Vice-Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, other party leaders such as the former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, the party’s governorship candidate for next year’s election in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje Sen. Bukola Saraki among others, Atiku said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) failed in all the areas of its promises when seeking for votes in 2015.
The PDP presidential flag-bearer boasted that Nigeria had the best prosperity, peace and education advancement among others under the PDP administration and lamented that the ruling APC, described as composing of liers and deceitful people came in 2015 and took over.
“Instead of creating jobs as they promised, no fewer than 12 million jobs had been lost since they came to power and rather than bringing into fruition the prosperity they so much talked about while not in government, their style of administration has taken poverty to the next level with the country becoming the world’s poverty capital”, he stated further.
Recalling how he led what he described as powerful economic team that brought prosperity to the country while serving as the Vice-President, Atiku said he would repeat the same feat if given the chance to lead the country next year with a promise that he would assemble the best economic team that would turn the economic fortunes of the country around for good.
The PDP presidential standard-bearer acknowledged the love of the South-West for education, the love he said the zone had been noted for even before the country became independent, but lamented that the current ruling party had not shown much commitment to that first love of the Yorubas and promised that his administration would bring tremendous improvement to the sector if allowed to rule the country as from next year.
Asking the people of the South-West geo -political zone not to allow themselves to be deceived by the ruling APC, Atiku disclosed that he would commence the process of restructuring the country within the first six months of his assumption of duty.
While soliciting for the support of the people in the next year general elections, he charged them to ensure the return of the zone to the PDP. He said, “we need you to support PDP, defend your votes, don’t sell your PVCs and join the chorus-‘Buhari must go'”.
Earlier in his address, the party’s National Chairman, Prince Secondus had said that; “Nigeria is in crisis, hunger is in the land, APC came with hunger, they came with insecurity, economy has collapsed, the President is not aware of anything going on in the country. Atiku is the only person that can rescue the country because he is tried, tested, trusted and has too many credentials.
“Our presidential candidate is sound, fit and articulate. The Emperor of APC said President Muhammadu Buhari is not fit. Don’t allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to manipulate you. They talk of corruption, their is the most corrupt government in the history of the country.
“Nigerians should ask them, where is our N8trillion? Where is our N25bn ? Corruption has gone to the highest level under their watch. APC cannot continue to steal our money, they are armed robbers calling others thieves. Atiku has come to rescue Nigeria from hunger, insecurity and joblessness”, Secondus charged.
The Vice-Presidential candidate, Mr. Obi in his short admonition simply said “Atiku will bring job, schools, the other man no like school, he will put food on your table”.
