Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar appealed to Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration under President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 general elections, even as he promised to unite the country and save her from the jaws of insecurity and economic mismanagement.
Abubakar spoke while addressing members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), party stakeholders and several support groups at the Enugu state office of PDP, ahead of the national convention of the party to select its presidential candidate for the 2019 general elections.
The front line presidential aspirant, who was earlier received at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, by thousands of supporters, drove through the city of Enugu in a long motorcade that disrupted traffic temporarily as they moved to the PDP secretariat.
The former vice president, who presented himself as presidential aspirant to Enugu delegates, appealed for their support by voting for him to fly the presidential flag of the party, stressing that he has the political, economic and administrative experience to rescue Nigeria from the current state of economic and political quagmire that the APC government had driven it to.
He said Enugu is a PDP state and praised members of the party in the state for being consistent and steadfast with PDP since the present political dispensation, which he said was responsible for the steady economic and infrastructural development in the state due to seamless continuity.
Abubakar expressed regret that the current government has run down the economy, saying that from economic growth rate of seven percent inherited from former President Goodluck Jonathan, the current government crashed it to less than two percent; while it has caused the rise of unemployment to 12 million persons, at the rate of three million job loss every year.
“So if you are looking for an experienced politician, I’m here. If you are looking for a politician who has the experience of governing, I’m also here. If you are looking for a politician who is a business man, who can create jobs for you, who can bring about investment for this country, I’m also here. If you are looking for a politician who can unite this country, whether you are Igbo, whether you are Yoruba, whether you are Hausa or Fulani, whatever you are, I’m also here.
“So, my brothers and sisters of Enugu state, we are facing challenging times in our country, today, our economy is at its lowest ebb. You know what? The last PDP government of President Jonathan achieved an economic growth of over seven percent; this government took it over and crashed it to less than two percent.
“This government has brought the worst insecurity in this country. Today in my part of the country, our traders cannot go to the market, our farmers cannot farm; simply because they will come and kidnap them, they will come and kill them,” he lamented.
In their remarks, some stakeholders and dignitaries who were on hand to receive the presidential aspirant and his team including former governor of old Enugu state and former national chairman of PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Chief Dubem Onyia, Sen. Fidelis Okolo, and Sen Hyde Onuaguluchi, all expressed confidence in Atiku’s ability and experience to rescue the country.
They said he was the first aspirant that promised to restructure the country, and also the only aspirant with the capacity to love Ndigbo, love Christians, love Muslims and revamp the economy.
Sen Onuaguluchi particularly extolled the virtues of Atiku Abubakar, saying that his life typifies greatness, as he has distinguished himself in business, politics and entrepreneurship.
The state chairman of PDP, Chief Augustine Nnamani, represented by his deputy, Mr. Innocent Ezeoha, described Abubakar as “son of the soil”, being married to Igbo woman, saying that he was at home in Enugu and that they are praying for him, aside their support.
