By Muhammad lawal
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, has pledged to reform Nigeria by re-opening the border, revamping economy and tackling the lingering insecurity if elected President.
He made the pledge while addressing a large crowd at a PDP campaign rally held at Race Course Stadium in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that people from different parts of the state and beyond converged at the venue to have a glance of the presidential candidate.
Abubakar expressed gratitude for the massive turn out of people, saying: “If elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will ensure that I tackle three things I consider the main problems of Nigeria and Nigerians presently.
“I will ensure that I tackle insecurity that engulfed parts of Kebbi State and indeed Northwest to enable you people go back to your farms, because we did it before and we are going to do again if elected.
“Secondly, you people are very close to the border and I know how much its closure affected your livelihood, In Sha Allah, I will open the border for you to continue with your businesses with neighbouring countries.
“Thirdly, I will do my best to revamp the nation’s economy, when the economy is boosted, business opportunities will abound and many Nigerians will overcome poverty and be smiling home everyday due to ample opportunities.”
The presidential candidate also promised to dredge Gwaranyo and Bakalori dams to encourage all-year-round farming to not only boost national food security but also keep many youths off the streets.
In his speech, the PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyochia Ayu recalled that when PDP took over from the military in 1999, the party did its best to reposition Nigeria only for APC to retard the nation’s prosperity.
Ayu argued that APC-led government had promised a change but Nigerians were now experiencing a negative change, assuring that they need not to campaign as the ruling party had already campaigned for PDP with their bad policies.
The PDP Campaign Council Chairman and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal reminded the people of Kebbi State not to cast their votes for APC again as a vote for the party was a vote for more hardship.
Tambuwal said a vote for PDP was a vote for improvement in education, health, agriculture and security.
On her part, Hajiya Naja’atu Mohammed, a former Director, APC Presidential Campaign Council, observed that Nigerians needed not be told about the current hardship, advising that people must shine their eyes to elect a healthy and sound minded leader.
Addressing the crowd, Sen. Adamu Aliero (PDP-Kebbi Central), urged Nigerians to be patient with the current hardship influenced by change of currency and acute scarcity of fuel across the nation.
Aliero pointed out that insecurity was the main issue that affected Kebbi people and Northwest especially at the grassroots, forcing many rural dwellers out of their villages and businesses.
While urging Kebbi people to cast their votes massively for Atiku and other PDP candidates, Aliero assured that Atiku was ready to proffer solution to the lingering security, economic, unemployment and all other issues crippling the nation.
The PDP governorship candidate in Kebbi, retired Maj.-Gen. Aminu Bande, described the event as historic, adding that Kebbi people had no option than to elect PDP for remedy to numerous problems that engulfed Nigeria.
He said: “We have a credible candidate at the top as well as all other elective positions. We have no option than to elect PDP at all levels. During PDP regime how much was a bag of millet and a bag of fertiliser, today we buy a bag of millet at over N25,000 and fertilisers at N35,000.” (NAN)
