Atiku pledges to restore Kano as the commercial centre, build link roads 

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said he will re-open all borders between Nigeria and the neighbouring countries if elected president.

The PDP candidate who was in Kano, Thursday, in continuation of his campaigns also return the state as a leading commercial centre in the country.

He further assured of provision of road infrastructure that will link Kano to all the neighbouring states if the PDP is returned to the power at the centre in the forthcoming general election.

According to him, “Kano has always been the centre of commerce in Nigeria. When PDP returns to power, we will make sure that Kano becomes a leading commercial centre in the country.

“We shall open the boarders. We shall also ensure that Kano state is secured so that you can do your businesses without fear.

“The people of Kano are also known for farming. So if you elect me, I will support the agricultural sector and improve on the business activities of the people. We will make Agriculture a priority.

“We shall provide road infrastructure that will link Kano to all the neighbouring states.

“We will make sure that university lecturers are paid so that our children will continue to go to school.

“I have also pledged to set some funds aside for youths and women to receive loans to set up their small and medium business enterprise for self-employment”, Atiku said.

Speaking at the rally, the Governor of Sokoto State and Director-General of the PDP presidential management committee, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal called on the people of Kano not to be deceived by the money that the All Progressives Congress, APC, may offer them during the elections.

In the words of Tambuwal, “Reject those people (APC). Don’t be deceived by their money. It is the money they are supposed to use to provide security that they stashed. They want to use it to buy votes.

“You can see the level of in-fighting in APC. They have plans to hack the INEC server. They want to make Kano and indeed, North-West, the dumping ground of their illicit money. Take their money and reject them”, he said.

While also addressing the rally, the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, said, “Since that party (APC) came, they have not thought of anything that will benefit the poor. They always formulate laws that will suffer the people.

“Today, we have hunger, insecurity, people are being killed, there is no petrol anywhere.

“They brought another problem, they changed the currency. We did not tell them to change the currency but they did it themselves.

“They have not thought how it will affect the poor. But we the PDP will come to rescue the Nigeria”, Atiku said.