Atiku` Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) nominee for president, carried his campaign to Owerri, Imo State, on Saturday. He asserted that the South-East has no reason not to support the party with its votes on February 25, 2023.
“I want to reassure you that you won’t regret choosing the PDP. The PDP was in power when this nation had its greatest growth. Atiku` promised a gathering of supporters, “We will replicate it and even surpass what we did while we were in government.
“We are capable of doing it again because those of us who did it the first time are still alive and powerful, I assure you and I vow to God. See you around. Consequently, Imo and South-East Africans, you have absolutely no reason to vote for any other party other than PDP.”
Atiku` courted the support of his party’s stalwarts in the All Progressives Congress (APC) stronghold with reference to his Igbo ties “for many decades” and his self-professed ability to bring economic and systemic transformation to the region.
“For me, it is a homecoming to Imo again. The first chieftaincy title to be given to me in the South East was given to me here in Imo State – Nwanne Di N’Mba of Ngo Okpala. This Imo airport, we dashed it to the people of Imo.
“Our community, the community to which I belong, the community that honoured me first in the South-East. That is why if I am the president, Imo is the presidency. It is your own presidency.
“I want to assure you that if I have the opportunity and you elect me, business and trading will pick up again because, in my policy document, I said I am going to set aside $10 billion just to empower women and young men in business. So, there will be absolutely no need for any young man or woman not to have something to do,” he said.
The PDP standard bearer also promised to deal with the country’s security challenges and take active steps towards restructuring the country.
“I know we have security challenges all over the country. Let me tell you, when you elect me president, I will come here, sit down with you, discuss with you, ‘What is your problem?’ And together, we will work out a settlement,” he said.
“I know the entire South-East is yearning for restructuring of the country, and it is one of the five items on my agenda that I will sit down with every part of this country, whatever devolution of power we want and resources we want, we will work with the National Assembly to make sure power and resources are devolved to the federating units.”
