By Abdallah el-Kurebe, Editor
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has said that the February 16 Presidential election offers a very rare opportunity for the Northeast to produce Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as president of Nigeria under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking in Bauchi on Tuesday at the Presidential campaign rally of the PDP, Dogara noted that some people thought the northeast can never produce someone that will have the golden opportunity of becoming the president of Nigeria.
“They thought no one from the north east would come out to take the challenge..many unpatriotic people wished that a day like this will never come where one of us; a father, a leader from North East, will contest for the position of the president,” he said.
He added that whereas Nigeria was now the poverty capital of the world, the northeast is the poverty capital of Nigeria, “a situation that will change when one of us, our leader form the North East, and who is getting a huge acceptance wherever he launches his campaign, is brought to power.
“It is now left to us, the people of the north east, to come out enmasse to vote for him. That’s the only way to show our total support for a better tomorrow, and who ever votes otherwise has shown that he is not after the development of North East.
“I want to make it clear to you, we are not campaigning for Atiku just because he is from our zone, no, we are campaigning and supporting him because of our belief that he will work for a better Nigeria. He is the only one that will bring an end to hunger, poverty, insurgency, especially Boko Haram, and also one who will make education a top priority. He will provide jobs to our youths.”
The speaker argued that Atiku would work to unite the country and return it on the path of development, while taking a swipe at the Bauchi State governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, who he described as a Pharoah.
“It is only in Bauchi that a Pharaoh-like regime is being practiced. If you are a photocopy of Pharaoh, know what happened to the original Pharaoh.
“We are bringing someone (Sen Bala Mohammed) who will bring back the lost glory of our dear state. It’s unfortunate that over 1.3 million children in Bauchi State are out of school today, which means if care is not taken, we may face another bigger security challange of our lives in the near future.
“Let us wake up and chase away hunger, poverty, insecurity and a Pharaoh-like government,” he charged.
