From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has appealed to his supporters in Kaduna State to give him winning votes as they did in the 2019 election.
This was even as he promised to revive moribund manufacturing industries in Kaduna as well as find solutions to terrorism which has bedevilled Kaduna for years.
Speaking at the presidential rally which took place at the Ranchers Bees township stadium in Kaduna, the Waziri Adamawa thanked the people of Kaduna for giving him the highest number of votes in 2019 and pleaded to take issues concerning Kaduna seriously if elected in the 2023 election.
Atiku said, “Let me thank you for your support in 2019. You gave me the highest number of votes in 2019 and I believe you will do so this time around. I have come here on behalf of PDP to tell you If you vote for us, we will end insecurity in Kaduna. We will revive the industries in Kaduna in partnership with the private sector of Kaduna.”
On his part, the vice-presidential candidate of the party, Governor Ifenayichukwu Okowa, said the people of southern Nigeria are ready to vote for PDP and Atiku come 2023 following the success of the party in the recent gubernatorial election in Osun.
“I thank God for the life of Atiku who has a solution to the problem we have in Nigeria. With Atiku as president, we should not go to bed hungry and He is ready to end insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
“Those of us in the South-South, South East, South West are ready to vote Atiku and the PDP. When we went to Osun, they said we wouldn’t win but we went there and we won in the home state of the APC presidential candidate. I’m happy with what I have seen here and I thank you for your support. Okowa said.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Atiku’s PPCO, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state said efforts to throw a spanner in PDP’s campaign will fail.
“They do not want us to continue with our rallies because they are not prepared. They haven’t constituted their campaign council and so, they want to drag us back but we are moving on with our campaign.
“The people of Kaduna have seen and felt the negative impact of the APC and when Atiku gets into power by next year, all the factories will return by God’s grace.
“His administration will ensure we invigorate our economy to have jobs and better life. I urge the people of Kaduna to come out in their millions to vote come February 2023.
The Party’s national chairman, Iyiocha Ayu in his remarks said despite being denied the proposed venue for the rally, the PDP has shown that if rallies were held on the road, they will always be successful.
“When they go low, we go high. they wanted to stop this rally, but they can’t. Whether they give us the venue or not, we will do our rally on the road and win. APC has failed. They don’t want us to recover this country and win. Let nobody deceive himself that we are going to lose. We are united and will win all our elections in Kaduna.”
Reacting on his Twitter handle to reports of an attack on PDP members by suspected APC thugs at the rally, Atiku urged President Buhari to call on all parties to call their supporters and members to order and to ensure that campaigns, just as with the elections, are kept free, fair and safe.
Those at the rally include the Director-General of the campaign Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Edo State Godwin Obaseki, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Former governor of Cross Rivers state Liyel Imoke, Former Governor of Osun state Olagunsoye Oyinlola, members of the National Working Committee, Senate Minority Leader Senator Aduda.
Others are the national organising secretary of the PDP, who is also the director of field operations of the campaign, Hon. Umar Bature, the party’s national youth leader, Muhammad Suleiman Kadade, the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Kaduna state, Hon. Isa Ashiru Kudan, former Governor of Adamawa and Niger states, Mr Boni Haruna and Muazu Babangida Aliyu.