On Sunday evening, after the PDP presidential primary, Governor Wike and Atiku met at Government House, Port Harcourt, where further steps were taken to chart the course for a New Nigeria.

Simeon Nwakaudu

On Sunday, October 7, 2018, the foundation for a new Nigeria was firmly laid at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The decision to end the reign of the APC Federal Government was taken via a transparent, credible and peaceful PDP presidential primary.

Port Harcourt, the City of Aquatic Treasure, provided the platform for the rebirth of Nigeria, after over three years of governance failure at the federal level.

It was in Port Harcourt that 3,221 delegates of the PDP, from the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, agreed to work diligently to restore hope to Nigerians beyond 2019.

This entire process started at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt, where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar laid bare his agenda for the country and his commitment to growth.

READ ALSO: 2019: Wike pledges support for Atiku

On March 27, 2018, all PDP leaders from the 23 local government areas of the state met with the presidential candidate and Atiku did unfold his programmes. This was in the presence of members of his team.

Governor Wike’s charge at that event

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, declared that all Nigerians must take up the solemn responsibility of sacking the APC Federal Government in 2019.

Governor Wike urged all PDP members, irrespective of their status, to ensure that PDP’s march to the Presidential Villa was not truncated by disunity.

He urged all PDP presidential aspirants to contest within acceptable limits as the race was not a do-or-die affair, but a movement to oust the APC Federal Government.

He said: “Every presidential aspirant must see himself as a member of the larger PDP family. We must do everything to ensure that PDP returns to the Presidential Villa in 2019.

“Only one aspirant will become a candidate. We will do everything to ensure that the party comes out with a candidate that has a track record to upstage the APC.

“God will make sure that the right candidate emerges. When the right candidate emerges, we will team up and remove this bad government.

“There is no benefit that Rivers State has got from this APC Federal Government. All the APC Federal Government is doing is plotting to rig the 2019 elections.”

He said the former Vice President had the right qualification to fly the PDP’s flag, noting that he should extend his consultations.

Speaking, Atiku said he was offering himself to set the country on the path of growth.

He said, since 2015, the APC Federal Government had destroyed the education and health sectors as well as infrastructure through poor budgetary allocations and releases.

He said: “Since 2015, we have not seen a 100 kilometres constructed by the APC Federal Government anywhere in the country.”

The former Vice President said the APC Federal Government had destroyed the foundation of unity and cohesion of the country.

He said: “I have never seen Nigeria so divided along religious, ethnic and regional lines. This division is as a result of the mismanagement of the APC.”

He called for the unity of the country, saying no component part of the country could progress alone.

He called on Rivers PDP stakeholders to support his ambition to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.

Also speaking, former Enugu State Governor, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, said Atiku was a detribalised Nigerian, with the capacity to rescue the country.

Related News

Former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, said Atiku was a true Nigerian, with business and political links across the country. He said Nigeria needed the former VP to revive the country.

Atiku was accompanied to Rivers State by Daniel, Nwodo, former Attorney-General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, and Senator Abdul Ningi.

The former Vice President met with state and federal lawmakers, caretaker committee chairmen of local government areas and party leaders.

READ ALSO: How Yoruba leaders convinced Obasanjo to reconcile with Atiku

Successful 2018 PDP National Convention

All across the country, the 2018 PDP National Convention has been recognised as a peaceful, free, fair and credible nomination process. This is thanks to the Rivers State Governor, who provided the right environment for positive electioneering and campaigns of all the 12 presidential aspirants.

The serenity of Port Harcourt reinforced the conclusion by the NIPC, that Port Harcourt was the best investment destination of the country. It confirmed that Port Harcourt was home to all, a centre of politics, economy, tourism and entertainment.

The outcome has been hailed by all stakeholders and Nigerians are ready to work towards the successful sacking of the failed Buhari administration.

Platform for the rescue of Nigeria

On Sunday evening, after the PDP presidential primary, Governor Wike and Atiku met at Government House, Port Harcourt, where further steps were taken to chart the course for a New Nigeria.

Governor Wike declared that all Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliations, must rise up to sack the APC government. He declared that all PDP leaders and well-meaning Nigerians had a duty to form a united front to sack the government.

He said though different party leaders supported different aspirants, with the emergence of Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate, all hands must be on deck for the good of the country.

The governor said: “We have no party that will salvage the country other than the PDP. A candidate has emerged and we owe it a duty to see that the party takes over from the most inefficient and ineffective party in control of the Federal Government.

“We are one family. You may support aspirant A or B, but once a candidate emerges , you owe it a duty to make sure your party returns to power.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that we don’t give APC any gap. They have failed Nigerians and we will take over in 2019.”

PDP presidential candidate outlines need for a new direction

Atiku said the entire country must work towards ending the failed APC Federal Government in 2019: “The entire country needs a new government. Definitely, we don’t need APC to return to power in 2019.”

He said the country had gone through challenges ranging from recession, unemployment, insecurity and disunity, emphasising that the country needed to chart a new direction in the interest of the people.

Atiku said that it was time for the people of Rivers State to consolidate their support for the PDP in the state.

He said: “I came to personally congratulate the governor, people and government of Rivers State and also thank him for hosting a most successful convention,” he said.

Beyond the APC administration

The APC government has no premise to campaign, even as the Buhari Campaign Organisation believes that it can make a headway by the sponsorship of propaganda.

The APC Federal Government has grounded Nigeria. No aspect of the nation is working. There are no viable projects anywhere in the country. Viable projects inherited from the Jonathan administration have been mismanaged. Education, health, security, economy, social welfare, fight against corruption and other key sectors of national life have been destroyed by the outgoing APC Federal Government.

It is for this reason that Governor Wike rallied patriotic Nigerians to keep the PDP alive when the APC Federal Government sought to destroy it. That is the reason Governor Wike continues to take the bullet for the PDP when he can play ‘siddon-look’ like others who want to be on the fence.

Governor Wike is a pan-Nigerian leader who is committed to the development of the country. The APC Federal Government has not done much in development. Therefore, all people of goodwill, working through the PDP, are building the framework to vote out the government.

READ ALSO: Sack APC in 2019, Wike tells Nigerians

_________________

Nwakaudu wrote from Port Harcourt.