From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Presidential candidate of People Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to end the incessant killings of innocent farmers in Benue State when elected president in the forthcoming general election.
Atiku, who stated this, yesterday, at Aper Aku Stadium, during a PDP presidential campaign in Makurdi, sympathised with the people state over their loved ones who lost their lives in the last eight years.
He said as the “Zege Mule U Tiv, a title given to him by the Tiv people, “I am the umbrella of the Tiv people all over the world. If you elect me as your president, just like I did in 2001 when I came to Benue and made the Fulanis to sign a peace accord with their brother, Tivs, I will come and make sure peace returns to Benue State.”
While noting that Benue is the food basket of the country, Atiku regretted that farmer in the state don’t go to farm again because of insecurity and pledged to ensure security returns to the state.
He also promised to solve issues of unemployment, saying: “We will allocate $10 billion to empower young men and women in enterprises.
“The infrastructural deficit you are facing in the state in terms of connectivity with other neighbouring states will be a thing of the past because we are going to vote something for the development of old roads and railways to make sure our transportation system is once again working.”
He pledged to end incessant Academic Staff Union of Universities strikes in the country through regular payment of salaries to lecturers and to fund the education sector adequately.
Atiku thanked PDP members for their solidarity and patience just as he urge the people to vote only the party in the forthcoming elections, saying Benue will not regret a PDP government.
Earlier, National Chairman of PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, lamented the suffering inflicted on Nigerians by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government and urged Nigerians to vote for the PDP.
He said: “All of you know how you have suffered under the APC government in the last eight years. Only someone with a mental problem will vote for the APC. So, do not waste your votes. Vote only the PDP.”
Ayu, who stated the party is not divided, said: “What we have is some of our members who are aggrieved but I am appealing to my younger brother, Governor Samuel Ortom, to come back and join us to fight to rescue the country.
“There is no better party. Governor Ortom has no where to go. His only house is PDP and anytime he comes, we shall be more than happy to receive him and all the PDP governors. We have already resolved our issue with Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, and he has agreed to work for the success of our party.”