Atiku: I’II Ensure Gombe, Bauchi Oil is Explored to Benefit People

•Kwankwasiya members are back in PDP, says Ayu 

•Benue diaspora voters predict victory for ex-vp

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi, Adedayo Akinwale and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to ensure that the oil discovered between Bauchi and Gombe States would be exploited to the benefit of the people.

On his part, the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has said everybody who ran away has started coming back to the PDP, including members of the Kwankwasiyya movement, some of whom he claimed have just been received into the fold.

Relatedly, a group, Benue Voters in Diaspora (BVD), has predicted that Atiku would emerge winner of the February 25 general election in Benue State.

However, Atiku, who made the promise in Bauchi at the presidential campaign rally of the party, commended Governor Bala Mohammed of the state for the developmental project he has executed so far.

Atiku said: “I want to thank Governor Bala Mohammed. He has constructed roads, he has constructed schools, he has constructed hospitals and we want to commend him for all the things he has done. And we want you to vote for him.

“I have also pledged that the petroleum that has been discovered between Bauchi and Gombe will be exploited to the benefit of the people. I have also pledge to set aside $10 billion for youths and women to receive loans to set up their small and medium business enterprise for self-employment.”

Ayu, while speaking, said the presidential candidate of the party would serve as the  medicine for all the problems the people are facing, including hunger, insecurity, and out-of-school children.

According to him, “Today everybody who ran away is coming back. We have just received everybody from the Kwankwasiyya, I don’t need to come to Bauchi and campaign.”

Chairman of the PDP campaign council and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, posited that, Atiku had the capacity to turn things around, saying, “A man who has the knowledge, very resourceful, the man who has the empathy to do things right. The man who can assemble the right team to put this economy in place.

“I can assure you that with Atiku Abubakar, you will not buy fuel again for N400 a litre; with Atiku Abubakar you will not trek again; with Atiku Abubakar, schools will not close; with Atiku Abubakar, our tertiary health institutions will no longer be consulting clinics, every thing will start to shift back to perfection.”

Meanwhile, the coordinator of Benue Voters in Diaspora (BVD), Chief Bright Igodo Ogaji, in  a press statement, said contrary to opinions from some quarters, Atiku would poll over one million votes from Benue State.

According to him, the turnout at Atiku’s rally in Makurdi and the level of “mobilization” by various PDP stakeholders both home and in diaspora, was a testament to the fact that the PDP candidate would sweep Benue at the poll.

“I have seen the level of love and acceptability from the people. With what I saw yesterday at the rally, Atiku is the man to beat and nothing would stop Benue people from giving him over a million votes,” he said.