We’ll Run People-friendly Govt, Atiku, Okowa Assure Nigerians

•My husband is Fulani but not a killer, says Mrs. Abubakar

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Fidelis David in Akure

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, took their campaign to Akure, Ondo State, with the promise to run a  people-friendly government.

Atiku and Okowa made the promises while addressing thousands of PDP supporters at the South-West zonal launch of the 2023 Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Rally, held at the MKO Democracy park, Akure.

Also, wife of the presidential candidate, Titi Atiku, a native of Ondo state, told the people that her husband was though a Fulani, however, not a killer, promising that his government would provide scholarships to students and end insecurity.

Atiku said Ondo was deliberately chosen as the first state to campaign in the South West, because its ability to deliver the highest vote in the region to PDP during the 2019 general election.

“We have started our campaign rally in Ondo State in the Southwest  and it is deliberate, because we want to show you that we appreciate what you have done for us in the last election. You have given us the highest votes in the Southwest and we will never forget you.

“That is why if you repeat the same thing again, we promise to deal with insecurity, we will also make sure that all the federal roads linked to Ondo State are very motorable,” he said.

The former vice president promised to set aside $10 billion USD to create employment and boost small and medium-scale enterprises to help employment drive for youths and women in the country.

His words: “We will also make sure that our young men and women are employed, we will set aside enough money to make sure that we empower you. That’s why in our policy documents, we said that we will set aside $10billion to make sure that we provide small and medium enterprises for young men and women to empower themselves. It is our number one priority.

“We will also provide enough fund for education so that our universities shall continue to work perfectly, not the one we are witnessing today. APC doesn’t care for our education,” said Atiku, who  criticised the APC-led government for the insecurity and infrastructure decay in the country.

“You can compare what PDP did in 14 years to what APC has done in the last eight years, and do you want vote for APC again?, We say No,” he stated.

Mrs Abubakar, while speaking, said, “My people, I, your daughter standing in your presence to tell you that my husband has done it before. The last election was won by my husband but we were robbed. My husband indeed is a Fulani but he is not a killer and we have been together.

“I taught him our culture and tradition, and he is part of us. During Obasanjo’s government, it was Atiku that brought the likes of the current Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, Ngozi Okonjo-iweala and others, who did well for Nigeria. Atiku will defeat Boko Haram and provide you with scholarships.

“No Yoruba has ever been a First Lady and if we vote Atiku, it’s a vote for Yoruba. There is hunger in the land, don’t let the opposition deceive you. Vote all PDP candidates during the elections,” she said.

The vice presidential candidate of the party and Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, charged the electorate to embark on door-door campaign in order to give the party a landslide victory come 2023.

Okowa promised that an Atiku-led government would replicate his giant strides in the area of economic performance tha would naturally boost security.

Also, the national chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyiorcha Ayu, boasted that PDP was on its way back to victory and rescue Nigeria and put it back on development track.

Present at the rally were Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa-Ibom), Ademola Adekeke (Osun), the national chairman of PDP, Iyiorcha Ayu; National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba; former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, former governor of Osun, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former deputy governors of Ondo, Agboola Ajayi, and Omolade Oluwateru and Senator Ayo Akinyelure, amongst others.