•Ex-VP takes rescue message to Sokoto, promises to end insecurity, open borders
•Party launches over 3,000 canvassers for candidates in Kwara
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
The Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was never given to character assassination unlike other presidential contenders since the commencement of the political campaigns.
This is as Atiku, yesterday, took his rescue message to Sokoto State, where he said if voted president later this month, he would end insecurity bedeviling state and operate an open border system.
Conversely, the party in Kwara State, has launched over 3,000 ‘Diplomats’ (canvassers) for Atiku and its governorship candidate in the state, Abdullahi Yaman.
Chairman of the PDP Campaign Council and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, who spoke during the presidential campaign of the party in Sokoto, took exception to the resort to personal attacks by some presidential hopefuls.
“I am proud to chair his campaign council, because from the day I followed him till today, he does not mount the microphone on character assassination; he does not tell the people about other people, he mounts the microphone to tell Nigerians that he has the solution to the problems, he has the solution to the education, healthcare, security, to the economy of this country,” he said.
Emmanuel, who maintained that, the former vice president was the only man that could make sure things become okay for Nigerians, added that Atiku had what it would take to provide Nigerians the peace that have eluded them.
According to him, “He wants to make sure he unify the country, he has what it takes to take the youths back, to have what to eat and to move them from the lower class into the middle class. Today, we are aware of the suffering of the people and if you look at his covenant with Nigeria, you will know that this is a man, who knows the way. This is the man, who is ready to lead the way, he loves the people, he has capacity. “
On his party, Atiku, who condoled the people of the state over the loss of lives due to activities of bandits in the past years, promised to ensure security of lives and return peace in the state and Nigeria at large if elected.
He said, “We will ensure that there is peace for businessmen, cattle rearers, fishermen, farmers and others. They will carry out their trades in peace. Secondly, I promised to eradicate poverty in the country. That is why we set aside $10 billion for businessmen, youths and women. I will ensure that they have capital to eradicate poverty in the county. “
Speaking at Giginya Stadium, venue of the PDP presidential campaign rally, he promised to promote Youth and women empowerment, boost agricultural production, economic development, education and others to restore Nigeria’s lost glory.
“I would like all of you present here to come out enmasse to vote for all PDP candidates in Sokoto State. I’m not expecting less than 1.5million votes from Sokoto,” he stated.
Promising that his administration would reconstruct Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua road, he said, “It is noteworthy that Sokoto is around the border with other African countries. I promise to open these borders for our people and other people to enjoy trade relationships with them.”
Atiku further pledged that his government would ensure that there was no strike in the universities.
Director General of PDP campaign, Aminu Tambuwal, appealed to the people to come out on election day and vote for Atiku as the next president.
He assured them that Atiku would deliver on all the promises to recover Nigeria from insecurity, poverty and whatever malaise the country was suffering from at the moment.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council in Kwara State, Dr Mahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe, said the structure comprised mainly youths across the sixteen local government areas in the state to canvassed and mobilised the electorate for the party.
According to him, “This is necessary because there is quite a lot of information gap and the need to further sensitise the electorate in terms of how they will cast their votes and the choice of party to vote for.
He said people needed to know, be educated and enlightened to support the PDP all through being the party that could turn things around in 2023, adding that, the party’s quest to return to power could not be done only through the media.
