I will restore Nigeria’s unity, economy and security, says Atiku
…As congratulatory messages pour in from Jonathan, Dogara, Dickson, Ortom, others
The official presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 general election, former vice president Atiku Abubakar has pledged to bring Nigeria back on the party of security and economic prosperity, even as said that the country’s glory would be restored before the world community.
Atiku who won PDP’s presidential primary election that took place in Port Harcourt Saturday and Sunday with a landslide said he is prepared to redeem all the promises he made before the Port Harcourt convention as well as his administration’s blueprint, if he wins the general election next year.
Atiku won the primary contest with 1,532 votes to defeat his closet rival, Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal who got 693 and other 10 contestants.
Senate President President Bukola Saraki came third with 317 votes while the former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso came forth with 158 delegate votes.
The PDP flag bearer solicited the support of all the aspirants that contested with him and urged other Nigerians to join hands with him in order to ensure the victory of the party in the 2019 general election, promising to rebuild the country and save its citizens from poverty and hunger.
Describing the process that gave him the PDP presidential election flag as the most free, fair and credible ever conducted by the party since its creation, Atiku commended the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the state government, for creating the enabling environment that brought about the success of the national convention.
“I am ready to work with other contestants to achieve victory in 2019 election. I cannot work it alone. It is not one man’s business. It is a collective responsibility.
I am ready to take advice from you. Today, we are experiencing a new development. We have experienced the most credible, transparent, free and fair primaries. I congratulate my fellow compatriots for showing a very rare patriotism.
“I want to commend Wike for hosting the event, which is without a hitch. All this wouldn’t have been possible without Governor Wike and Rivers State government’s support.
We can’t afford to fail Nigerians at this moment because of the yearnings of Nigerians, for the return of PDP, because they (Nigerians) have seen the mismanagement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government “, Atiku stated.
Meanwhile former President Goodluck Jonathan and other PDP leaders have congratulated Atiku Abubakra on his victory and emergence as the presidential candidate of the party.
“In a message Jonathan said, “I congratulate His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, Waziri Adamawa, and by the grace of God and the votes of Nigerians, the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
I believe you are the best candidate. I am convinced that you are the man to take Nigeria from being the world’s headquarters for extreme poverty to being the global hub for prosperity and happiness. Congratulations.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara also congratulated Atiku through a message by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki which was posted on the Speaker’s website.
He called on Atiku to unite other presidential aspirants, expressing hope that PDP will win the 2019 elections and break the chain of bad leadership in the country.
“One would not be entirely wrong if we say that the problem of Nigeria or the bane of development of this country is bad leadership.
Not even the challenge of infrastructure, not the bloodletting we are witnessing in different parts of Nigeria from Zamfara, down to the middle-belt states of Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Adamawa and the rest and sundry acts of kidnapping across this country.
“Of course, we have the problem of infrastructure. Those of us delegates who traveled by road from our various states down to Port Harcourt for this exercise will bear an ample testimony to the fact that we are living in a country with decayed infrastructure.
Obviously, the biggest challenge of them all is leadership. If we have the right leadership, education will not be a problem, infrastructure will not be a problem, getting or inspiring our citizens to live in peace will not be a problem.
With the right leadership, Nigeria will be the pride of not only the black man, but of the entire world and that is the responsibilty that has fallen on the shoulders of the PDP delegates that we have here today.
This is the responsibility that has been outsourced,“ Dogara said, adding that Atiku Abubakar is an experienced administrator, a tested politician and Nigerian who understands the problems facing the country and has the capacity to fix the challenges.
On his part, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom said he is confident that Atiku has the ability to provide credible leadership for the country, if given the mandate.
“The Governor is optimistic that Nigerians will vote for the rebranded and refocused PDP in next year’s elections to address the plethora of challenges confronting the country, and turn around the economy and security situation which the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has apparently failed to handle,” a statement by Ortom’s Chief Press Secretary Terver Akase stated.
He said that Atiku Abubakar is an experienced administrator, a tested politician and Nigerian who understands the problems facing the country and has the capacity to fix the challenges.
The Governor of Bayelsa State Seriake Dickson in the same vein has congratulated Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for emerging as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) flag-bearer in the 2019 presidential election.
He said the former Vice President has the requisite experience and knowledge to tackle the challenges bedevilling the country and described the primaries that produced Atiku as the freest and best election ever conducted in the history of the country.
