•Urges PDP Members not to allow ruling party steal their votes again
Francis Sardauna
A former Vice-President and presidential hopeful, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of rigging the 2019 elections for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in fives states of Katsina, Kano, Yobe, Kaduna and Borno.
He, however, advised members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to allow the APC steal their votes in the 2023 general election.
Addressing PDP delegates and leaders of the party in Katsina, Atiku said he won the 2019 elections in the five northern states but the APC rigged the results in connivance with the nation’s electoral umpire.
“I thank the Katsina State delegates for supporting me in Port Harcourt in 2018. I also thank the entire people of Katsina state for supporting the PDP during the 2019 general elections.
“Katsina, Kano, Borno, Yobe and Kaduna were among the states where APC rigged our results. So, I thank the people of Katsina State for supporting PDP, and I hope this time around you will not allow them to steal your votes,” he said.
The former vice president, who proclaimed himself as a unifier, promised to unite the country irrespective of religion or tribal difference for peaceful coexistence and development to thrive if elected president in 2023.
He also assured the people that his government would restore security, revamp industries, reform the economy of the country and create more jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country.
While accusing the government of President Muhammadu Buhari of being insensitive to the development of the education sector, Abubakar said he would revitalise education and end industrial actions for effective and efficient learning.
He further vowed to devote more powers and resources to states to enable governors develop their states and avoid overdependence on the federal government for survival.
“I promised to unify the country that is why I am being referred to as Mr unifier. By unifying this country, I mean to say that no part of this country will be neglected.
“Every part will have a sense of belonging. Every religious faith will have a sense of belonging and no part will be discriminated against. It is only when you do, that you will have the unity of this country,” he said.
He, therefore, appealed to the Katsina State delegates to vote for him at the PDP presidential convention billed for 28 and 29 of this month in Abuja.
