PDP Presidential Candidate and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; his running mate and Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal; Edo State Governor Andrew Obaseki and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart Udom Emmanuel, at the kick-off of the party’s Presidential Campaign in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Capital, on Monday, October 10, 2022
At a massive rally which kicked off the presidential campaign of Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, yesterday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the party’s candidate in the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, promised to rescue Nigeria from insecurity, poverty, disunity and youth unemployment.
At the campaign flag-off at the Nest of Champions stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, he said if elected he would restore Nigeria’s crumbling education system.
Particularly, he promised to address headlong the protracted strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), poor condition of the nation’s universities and welfare of university teachers.
He appealed to Nigerians to give PDP a chance to rescue the country’s economy, security apparatus, and other sectors that have allegedly been destroyed by the All Progressives Congress administration since 2015.
His words: “When PDP came to power in 1999, we met Nigeria in a state of poverty, insecurity, hunger, lack of education. We lifted Nigeria from the bottom to the top. We became the biggest economy in Africa, we had peace, we had progress. But when Nigerians said they wanted change, they voted for change in 2015.
“What we have seen is poverty, insecurity, lack of jobs and disunity. Our children are no longer going to school. Is that what we want to continue in?
“So, today, we have inaugurated the flag off of our campaign to rescue Nigeria. To rescue Nigeria from hunger, to rescue Nigeria from poverty, and also bring back the unity that we require in this country.”
Atiku said: “What we have seen is poverty, insecurity, lack of jobs and disunity. Our children are no longer going to school. Is that what we want to continue in?
“So, today, we have inaugurated the flag off of our campaign to rescue Nigeria. To rescue Nigeria from hunger, to rescue Nigeria from poverty, and also bring back the unity that we require in this country.
“I want to appeal to all Nigerians, I am standing in Akwa Ibom today to ask them to vote for PDP. If you vote for PDP, it would be a return to prosperity, it would be a return to unity, it would be a return to your safety. There would be no more hunger, there would be security.
“I swear, If you vote for PDP, you will not be out of school, you will get jobs, there will be security, there will be unity.”
He said: “I want Nigeria to be like Akwa Ibom. You know why, because since 1999, you have not changed party, but you can see the development that is taking place here in Akwa Ibom. You can see the prosperity that is taking place in Akwa Ibom, you can see the security that is available in Akwa Ibom. So the rest of Nigeria would like to be like Akwa Ibom.
“We want to dedicate the launching of this campaign to the achievements of the Akwa Ibom PDP for good governance.”
Speaking, the Vice Presidential Candidate and Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa tasked Nigerians to take seriously the ongoing mission by the PDP to rescue the Nation.
“This campaign is a very serious business. There is a great problem in Nigeria and we have been looking for a rescuer. PDP has offered to rescue Nigeria. We believe that PDP is the only party prepared to rescue Nigeria. We want a nation where people can once again trust each other, we are ready to take the bull by the horn, we are presenting a General.”
Chairman of PDP Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Udom Emmanuel in his welcome speech, insisted on the need to oust the APC administration in 2023.
His words, “We are inaugurating and flagging off this campaign to rescue Nigeria from hunger: to rescue Nigeria from poverty and to bring back the unity that we require in this country”.
National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu also presented the flag of the party to Atiku.
On his part, the chairman of the PDP Presidential campaign council and host of the day, Governor Udom said only Atiku has the capacity of rebuilding Nigeria.
“All the indices are bad. From the exchange rate of ₦150 to a dollar where we left it in 2015 to over ₦750 to a dollar now but I can assure you that we are set to fly the rescue mission and the train moves today. All Nigerians are expected to join us.
“If you look around, every Nigerian is eager to leave the country now due to the hard economic situation unlike what we have when PDP was in power. But I can assure you that once we get back to the Villa, things will change,” he said.
For Governor Tambuwal who is the DG of the PDP Presidential campaign council, he said the APC is planning to sow a seed of discord in the country with the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, unlike the PDP’s ticket which he said balances the polity of Nigeria.
“The Atiku-Okowa presidential ticket is the only candidature that reflects the true nature of Nigeria. it reflects our diversity and it shows competence, capacity and character,” he noted.
In attendancey were Atiku’s running mate and Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; former Vice President Namadi Sambo; Governors Aminu Tambuwal; Douye Diri; Godwin Obaseki; Ishaku Darius, and Umaru Fintiri, of Sokoto, Bayelsa, Edo, Taraba and Adamawa States respectively.
Former governors were also in attendance, as well as former presidents of the Senate, including Bukola Saraki, David Mark, and Adolphus Wabara.
However, Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Samuel Ortom (Benue); Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and other supporters of Wike were absent at the event.
