…Pledges To Restore Peace
By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
The presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has plegded to revisit and reactivate the oil and gas exploration, which was truncated by insecurity on the fringes of Lake Chad and other communities of Borno State.
He also vowed to tackle insecurity in the North East, and reduce the exorbitant taxation policy in the state.
The former Vice President said this when he addressed a mamoth crowd of PDP supporters at Ramat Square in Maiduguri, where over 5,000 people, mostly from the ruling All Prohressives Congress, APC, defected into PDP, including former member of the House of Representatives, representing Chibok/Gwoza/Damboa federal constituency, Hon. Peter Biye.
Atiku and his entourage had earlier visited the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai, who told him to focus on such areas if elected President.
Addressing the crowd, Atiku said, “Before I arrived here, I visited the Shehu of Borno, and in his address, he requested us to attend to about four or five issues that are the problems in Borno.
“One of them is to restore peace and security in the state. And I promise you that, by the grace of God, if the PDP is elected, we shall restore peace and order in Borno State.
“Secondly, he requested us to make sure that we reactivate Chad Basin development so that our farmers can go back to farm so that we can produce food and reduce unemployment.
“He requested that we make sure the local governments are supplied with electricity, which we promised we would do when elected.
“Again, His Royal Highness, the Shehu requested that we should reactivate the exploration of oil and Gas in the Chad Basin, which we promise to do by the grace of God.
“Apart from these, we will also reactive the Chad Basin Development Authority so that our people can have access to farmlands and improve on their means of livelihood.”
He thanked the people of Borno for the massive reception accorded him in the state, and urged them to vote for the PDP at all levels during the 2023 polls.
He said, “People of Borno, we thank you very much for this reception and support. We look forward to the day you will vote for PDP from top to the bottom.
“We are tired of APC misrule. Enough of hunger, enough of insecurity, enough of unemployment, enough of suffering, and enough of too much taxation. We will make sure that you are exempt from exorbitant taxation.”
Earlier, the Director General of Atiku Campaign Organization and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said that the PDP is the only political party to rescue Nigerians from the clutches of APC, which has failed to fight poverty, unemployment, and insecurity, despite the huge resources at its disposal.
Tambuwal urged all and sundry to come out enmasse and vote for the PDP at all levels come the 2023 general elections, as according to him, there is no candidate more than Atiku who has the competence to rescue Nigeria and Nigerians.
Prominent stakeholders who attended the rally include, Atiku’s running mate and governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, who represented the governor, Bala Mohammed, PDP gubernatorial candidate in Borno, Ali Jajari, PDP stakeholder, Alhaji Idris Durkwa, former Minister of Works, Mohammed Daggash, senatorial and House of Representatives and state Assembly candidates, among other dignitaries.
