Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, insists there is a plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress to rig the forthcoming general elections by importing foreigners into the country to vote in the February 16 elections.
He made the allegation at the PDP presidential campaign rally held in Benin.
Atiku advised the party faithful to be vigilant and watchful and not to allow anybody to force them to leave their polling unit after voting but to stay-put and allow the result to be declared before leaving.
“When you vote, like I said, it is about your future, where you vote, stay there, tell them that, that result must be announced and if you go, they will cheat you, they will rig the election.
“You see how they are bringing people from Niger and Chad. They will come in your own country to turn you to slaves, do not agree. Now after that, you can go and make sure they do not rig you out,” he said.
The PDP presidential candidate who arrived at the rally ground at 5 pm, said Nigerians should not forget in a hurry how PDP rescued the country from poverty and debts that the ruling APC has returned the country into.
“They have already destroyed this country. This is the first time we are having 21 million people out of jobs. Never in this country – most of you people are out of jobs – it is the APC that has caused this problem for us. So, join me now to send them home.
“We are not like APC; you know what PDP has done for this country. The price of crude was $11 yet we saved to pay all our foreign debts. We saw prosperity, we saw GSM revolution. We want to continue with this prosperity. So, we appeal to you to vote PDP,” Abubakar said.
He, however, promised to create jobs for the unemployed in the country.
“I have always told Nigerians that I am the bridge between my generation and your own generation.
“There is something I can see here; virtually 90 percent are young men and young women and that is why I said my government is going to be made up of 70 percent young men and women because if you look at the number of people who have registered between the young men and women, they constitute about 70 percent and what does it mean? It means that we have to prepare you to take over the reign of government of this country; we have to prepare you so that you can have a meaningful career. Whatever you want to do, so that you can succeed,” he said.
In his speech, the National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, appealed to INEC not to use the IDPs to rig the forthcoming general elections.
“Today, we are convinced without doubt that the people of Edo State have come out here in their numbers and by your own mandate; come February16, you will come out to vote Atiku .
“Atiku is coming to rescue Nigeria from poverty, from hunger, from mass stealing, to create jobs; he is very energetic with his wealth of experience he will bring to bear and Nigeria will be better again but we warn INEC not to use IDPs to rig the elections,” he said.