2023: Atiku, Obi, Tinubu intensify campaign, promise better deal for Nigerians

 

 

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja and Daniel Dauda,Jos

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar has promised to address security challenge and revamp the nation’s economy if elected president in 2023.

He also, assured to create massive employment opportunity for the teaming youths and make sure infrastructural development connecting Plateau and other neighbouring states is achievable as APC administration failed woefully in this regard.

Abubakar said this at the flag off campaign rally in Jos on Tuesday and promised to run a government that would work for every Nigerian and restore its glory.

“If elected into office at the general election, I promise to restore the peace and security in the country and revamp the economy. I also promise to bring back the peace that Plateau had enjoyed in the past, revamp its economy and ensure we connect Plateau to its neighbouring states.

“The roads in Plateau state are in a very bad state, there are no connecting roads to neighbouring states, I will ensure we fix them immediately we get into office,” he said.

He said coming to Plateau is a home coming as he had his house in the state for the past 28 years.

The director general of Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambawal alongside his counterpart of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel who is the PDP presidential campaign chairman affirmed that PDP is coming to power in 2023.

The duo said it is time to change the negative change APC administration injected to Nigerians.

“APC did not create or manage the change, rather they have succeeded in inflicting more pains to Nigerians.
Atiku is the only Presidential candidate that if given the opportunity can stimulate and restore hope of the populace having served as a vice president.”

The PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu in a remark, said that the party was on a historic mission, stating that there were no cracks in the party and were one on the same mission.

Ayu called on party supporters to vote for all candidates on the platform of the PDP, promising to restore what the country had lost.

Similarly, the Director-General of the party’s presidential campaign council, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, said that Plateau was a PDP state, urging them to vote the party across all levels to return the lost glory of the state and country at large.

The PDP governorship candidate in the state, Dr Caleb Mutfwang, appreciated the people of the state for always voting the party over the years.

Mutfwang called on citizens of Plateau to vote the party again to bring about the desired change they desired.

Plateau PDP Chairman Chris Hassan assured citizens that the party was one and had mapped out strategies to win the election, assuring the presidential candidate of more than two million votes.

In Atiku’s entourage are Gov. Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom, Sen. Bukola Saraki and Sen. Philip Aduda,
among others.

Meanwhile, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi has said the national minimum wage presently earned by workers in Nigeria is grossly insufficient, hence his government, when elected will increase it.

Obi also said that one of the ways to curb unemployment is to resuscitate the stillborn Ajaokuta Steel Complex which he said will create massive job opportunities for Nigerians.

Labour Party held its rally at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, Kogi State, Tuesday that witnessed unprecedented crowd of supporters and Obidient members,

Obi said, “We came here to tell you how we will save Nigeria from collapsing. Today in Kogi state you cannot travel freely within the state or from here to Abuja without fear. Our number one job is to secure Nigeria. We want to make Nigeria safe. We want to be able to unite Nigeria. Nigerians today are not living as a family. We want to bring the family back we want to secure Nigeria.We want to show that in Nigeria, there’s rule of law. You are not harassed.

“We want to make sure that we would remove Nigeria from consumption to production. We told you about minimum wage, we will ensure that the minimum wage that is as of today and those who are owed, we will work with that state and the local government to clear the outstanding arrears. We would make sure that we work with them and when we stop consumption we will start thinking about how to continue to increase the minimum wage because the  minimum wage today can no longer sustain anybody.

“For Nigeria to develop we need steel, and I was told that the machine is outdated and I said if it is outdated can’t we get new one. If it is outdated we would make sure we resuscitate them and we will partner with whoever that can do it and bring new ones so it can work and we will create jobs.

“Reject their money. We can only tell you what we can do. We are not talking to you through any spokesperson. We are talking to you direct,  when I become president of Nigeria,  I will come to Kogi  State,  tour every senatorial zone and I will bring prosperity to your state. We will ensure that the people return to the farms. The vast land in the state can feed Nigeria.”

Obi’s deputy, Datti Baba Ahmed also said that a new Nigeria is possible even as he called Nigerians to vote out the government in power.
He said, “Ninety nine days is for the thief but One day is for the owner. That one day is coming, that one special thing is going to happen to Nigeria.
“That one day that Nigeria will belong to the people is coming. For too long, clever politicians have been confusing brothers and sisters, they have been disuniting Nigerians.

“For too long,  they have disallowed prosperity to Nigeria,  that is going to stop. We are here to change all these, we are here to stop them. If you earn income legitimately, Labour Party is your own. If you legitimately created wealth, Labour Party  is your own. If you truly earn what you have, Peter Obi is your own.

“Those two parties that have failed, there’s only one way for them, downwards. Join the party of the  people who has promise the people, who are telling you what they will do without excuses. The people who will not come and change what they said, we are here with you today.
“Follow the people that have not been confusing and decieving you. That day, you will see Nigerians embracing and hugging each other.

“People like Peter Obi, when they will be sworn in and they will prove to you that they know how to create wealth. They know how to bring prosperity and they know how to make citizens live in peace and tranquillity. Keep it in mind. We’re going to stop the killing
and start the healing, we are going  to stop the stealing and the slide.”
Also speaking, the
national chairman of Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure also blamed leadership to failing situation on Nigeria

“There is no gainsaying the fact that today our country is at a crossroad, the fact that our country today is in disarray, the fact that the country is mismanaged. Today we are at a dilemma ,  the country is not working. From Abuja to Lokoja, you cannot go by roads, from Abuja to Kaduna, you cannot go by road, insecurity has ravaged our country. People can no longer go to their farms, we are not even talking about the economy.
“The principal purpose of governments is to provide security for citizens, today Nigerians are not talking about welfare, because to some Nigerians welfare is a luxury. Nigerians are simply saying, secure our lives, we will do other things.
“Today Security has become an illusion to the citizens of Nigeria. Today the economy is not working. There is unemployment in the land, our students can no longer feed and go to school.
“There is no healthcare, nothing is walking in the country. This challenges we have is as a result of failed leadership. Failed leadership over the years, clueless leadership over the years, leadership that is selfish, leadership that is self centred and that is the challenges we have in the country today.”
In a related development,
the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has promised to eliminate kidnappers and other “troublemakers” terrorising Kaduna State.

“All those troublemakers, violent kidnappers, killers; who are (disturbing the) security of Kaduna, I assure you, we will eliminate them,” he said at the APC North-West presidential campaign rally in Kaduna on Tuesday.
Kaduna, one of the seven states in the North-West geo-political zone, has recorded increasing bandit and terrorist attacks in the last two years, including the infamous infiltration of the Nigerian Defence Academy on August 24, 2021 and the deadly attack on a moving train on March 28, 2022.
The Kaduna State government said 1,192 persons were killed by bandits and other violent groups in 2021 while over 3,000 residents, students and travellers were kidnapped. So far, over 800 people have been killed by bandits and more than 1,200 persons kidnapped in Kaduna between January and September 2022, according to official data.

But Tinubu told a crowd of APC supporters decked up in party paraphernalia on Tuesday that he can bring an end to the security challenges in the state.

He said the incumbent governor of Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai, has done creditably well since he assumed office in 2015.

He, therefore urged the party faithful to vote himself and the APC governorship candidate in Kaduna, Uba Sani, in the 2023 general election.

“El-Rufai has done a good job, go around Kaduna, you will see how organised, how clean (the state is). He has more internally generated revenue,” Tinubu said, promising to create jobs, harness agriculture potential and empower youths if elected on February 25, 2022.

Tinubu was at the rally alongside his running mate, Kashim Shettima; APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu; and some governors from the North-West and other parts of the northern region.

They include Aminu Masari (Katsina), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi), Abubakar Bello (Niger), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Babagana Zulum (Borno) amongst others.

Last month, Tinubu boasted that his alliance with northern governors would deliver for him the bulk of the votes needed to outsmart his main opponents, including Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

About 10 northern governors had backed Tinubu’s candidacy at a keenly contested primary in June.

Historically, since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the northern region of the country had the highest voter turnout at presidential elections and the top contenders for Aso Rock’s top job in 2023 have since pitched their tents to win over most of the 19 states in the region.
For instance, Kano had over 1.8 million cumulative votes – the highest by any state in the 2019 presidential election. The state has witnessed some of the highest defections amongst PDP, NNPP and APC of late. Kano is home to Ganduje, a Tinubu ally; Ibrahim Shekarau, an Atiku supporter; as well as Kwankwaso, who relies on his base and socio-political movement, Kwankwasiyya to get votes in the north.

Also during the 2019 presidential election, Kastina and Kaduna polled 1.5 million separate votes, Plateau with over 1 million votes, Kebbi with a total of 650,000 votes, and Kwara with a paltry over 400,000 total votes – all mainly shared between the APC’s Muhammadu Buhari and PDP’s Atiku Abubakar. Other states with heavy numerical voter strength based on past elections include Jigawa, and Bauchi, amongst others.

Although at least three polls have put Obi ahead of other candidates, only time will unveil the winner of the February 25, 2023, presidential election.