From Desmond Mgboh, Kano and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari, in Kano, yesterday, declared that his greatest desire is to achieve peace and economic prosperity in Nigeria.

He said this at a presidential rally held at the Sani Abacha Stadium, where he reminded the crowd that he had held various positions as Petroleum Resources minister, military Head of State and is now a democratically-elected president, and that his ambition is to streghten peace and economic prosperity for all.

He maintained that his administration has fulfilled all electoral promises and added that they have brought relief to Nigerians in the areas of security as well as improved the economy by attaining an unprecedented progress in agriculture.

Buhari said the North East can attest to the improved security situation in their area while adding that some of them have since returned to their homes.

He maintained that they have equally done a lot in agriculture, resulting in massive production of locally cultivated rice while adding that they have sliced the price of fertiliser by half its normal price, to make the product available to farmers.

He assured Nigerians that he would retain the policies of the administration if reelected while appreciating the crowd for their patience.

Speaking at the rally, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole attacked the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi for lacking in integrity.

Atiku, he said, has made another mistake in his choice of Obi as a running mate insisting that Obi lied about the figures he reeled out during an ainteractive session on The Candidates president debate on Wednesday.

He said statements about Atiku’s integrity, by his former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, cannot be wished away simply because Obasanjo has decided to forgive him.

He claimed that contrary to claims that they created jobs for Nigerians, Obasanjo and Atiku presided over industrial obituaries all over Nigeria, adding that their administration destroyed more than 14 million jobs during their tenure.

In his speech, Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, challenged Obi to an open debate over his claims on funding of railway and airport projects initiated by the previous administration.  Amaechi was emphatic said Obi lied during Wednesday’s debate.

Amaechi said since they are both devout Catholics, he is ready to meet Obi in a debate at any where of his choice; to put the records right for the benefit of Nigerians, and added that the Buhari administration invested in these projects for their completion.

Meanwhile, the PDP has said the five million votes Kano Governor, Abdullahi  Ganduje promised Buhari are  illusionary figures.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan,  said this is because Buhari has completely lost the support of Kano people, following his failure to fulfil the promises he made to them in 2015.

The PDP said the total number of registered voters in Kano state are not more than 5.5 million.

The party alleged that “the president must have been shocked when he realised that his party, the APC, had to rent a crowd from neighbouring Niger Republic to populate his rally in Kano, yesterday, after the planners could not mobilise enough supporters from Kano to attend.

“Nigerians watched in amusement as two state governors and a traditional ruler from Niger Republic, who were contracted to hire and ferry in the aliens, struggled for space with APC leaders at the rally…”

“They saw how the crowd, with strange and conflicting colours, could not connect to calls and speeches by APC leaders, but remained uncoordinated and had to be instructed and prodded to respond at the rally.

“The world now knows how President Buhari garnered his votes in Kano in 2015 and on what strength his party has been boasting of five million votes in the 2019 elections.

“Now that it is clear to all, including Mr. President, that he has lost the support of the people of Kano state, we urge the Buhari Presidency and the APC to wake up to the reality and stop deceiving themselves as there is no way foreigners can be allowed to participate in our elections, as they probably did for President Buhari in 2015.

“Since it is no longer in contention that President Buhari cannot garner up to one million genuine votes in Kano, the PDP cautions the APC and their agents in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to end their rigging plans in the state, as such will be resisted by the people,” it stated.