The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to reform Nigeria by re-opening the border, revamping the economy, and tackling the lingering insecurity if elected president.
He made the pledge while addressing a large crowd at a PDP campaign rally held at Race Course Stadium in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday.
People from different parts of the state and beyond converged at the venue to have a glance at the presidential candidate.
Abubakar expressed gratitude for the massive turnout of people, saying: “If elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will ensure that I tackle three things I consider the main problems of Nigeria and Nigerians presently.
“I will ensure that I tackle the insecurity that engulfed parts of Kebbi State and indeed Northwest to enable you people to go back to your farms because we did it before and we are going to do it again if elected.
“Secondly, you people are very close to the border and I know how much its closure affected your livelihood, In Sha Allah, I will open the border for you to continue with your businesses with neighbouring countries.
“Thirdly, I will do my best to revamp the nation’s economy, when the economy is boosted, business opportunities will abound and many Nigerians will overcome poverty and be smiling home every day due to ample opportunities.”
The presidential candidate also promised to dredge Gwaranyo and Bakalori dams to encourage all-year-round farming to not only boost national food security but also keep many youths off the streets.
In his speech, the PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyochia Ayu recalled that when PDP took over from the military in 1999, the party did its best to reposition Nigeria only for APC to retard the nation’s prosperity.
Ayu argued that the APC-led government had promised a change but Nigerians were now experiencing a negative change, assuring that they need not campaign as the ruling party had already campaigned for PDP with their bad policies.
The PDP Campaign Council Chairman and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal reminded the people of Kebbi State not to cast their votes for APC again as a vote for the party was a vote for more hardship.
Tambuwal said a vote for PDP was a vote for improvement in education, health, agriculture, and security.
On her part, Naja’atu Mohammed, a former Director of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, observed that Nigerians needed not to be told about the current hardship, advising that people must shine their eyes to elect a healthy and sound-minded leader.
Addressing the crowd, Sen. Adamu Aliero (PDP-Kebbi Central), urged Nigerians to be patient with the current hardship influenced by a change of currency and acute scarcity of fuel across the nation.
Aliero pointed out that insecurity was the main issue that affected Kebbi people and the Northwest, especially at the grassroots, forcing many rural dwellers out of their villages and businesses.
While urging Kebbi people to cast their votes massively for Atiku and other PDP candidates, Aliero assured that Atiku was ready to proffer solutions to the lingering security, economic, unemployment, and all other issues crippling the nation.
The PDP governorship candidate in Kebbi retired Maj.-Gen. Aminu Bande, described the event as historic, adding that the Kebbi people had no option but to elect PDP remedy to numerous problems that engulfed Nigeria.
He said: “We have a credible candidate at the top as well as all other elective positions. We have no option but to elect PDP at all levels. During the PDP regime how much was a bag of millet and a bag of fertiliser, today we buy a bag of millet at over N25,000 and fertilisers at N35,000.”
