By Umar Abdulah
Minna
The former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has endorsed Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (KTT) SAN, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate for the 2019 election.
The retired general said that he was convinced that the ‘KTT Agenda’ would transform and meet the aspiration of Nigerians.
Babangida made the endorsement when he received Tanimu Turaki at his residence in Minna, the Niger State on Tuesday.
The PDP presidential aspirant, who was on a one-day visit to PDP stakeholders in
Niger State, had told IBB how he intended to tackle insecurity, the decline in the national economy and the increasing youth unemployment.
Babangida said, “From your agenda I believe you mean well for this country. I think if you are given the chance Nigeria will witness tremendous development. I have no doubts your roadmap can lead Nigeria to prosperity”.
The Nigeria’s former military leader also supported the call by the Presidential hopeful that the unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable as it must be held above all other issues.
His words: “Nigeria has never been so divided along tribal, religious, regional and otherwise as it is today”.
Turaki had solicited the support of Babangida for the realisation of his 2019 presidential ambition, saying with the present day situation he had all that was needed to turn the country around for the better and as well, improve the country’s economy.
Turaki said if voted into power he would implement policies and programmes that would not only bring about peace and unity but also put smiles on the faces of badly impoverished Nigerians.
Addressing stakeholders after the visit at the state PDP Secretariat, Turaki lamented the level of insecurity, submitting that not less than 22 out of the 36 states in Nigeria today were grappling with one form of insecurity or the other.
While blaming the escalating insecurity on rivalry among the country’s security chiefs, Turaki pointed out that if elected the President he would sack all the security chiefs.
According to him, “Insecurity is now spreading to Sokoto, Niger, and Kebbi. In fact not less than 22 states in the country are under one form of insecurity or the other”.
Turaki blamed the crisis that bedeviled the PDP in the past on the demise of the former Governor of Niger Dtate, Alhaji Abdulkhadir Kure. ‘‘If Kure were to be alive he would have resolved the problems before it degenerated to the level it did,” he said.
Turaki also blamed the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) government for “opening doors for theft of public funds while at the same time deceiving Nigerians that it was fighting corruption.
“Corruption in public offices are more now than during the PDP era.”
Niger State PDP Chairman, Alhaji Tanko Beji, acknowledged the transparency of the aspirant, saying, “Turaki was one Nigeria that has lived a clean life despite all the top positions he had occupied’.
