•Report by Mudasir Opeyemi
The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, has promised to restructure Nigeria if elected as President next year. He was in Imo State on Saturday where he told the electorate that South-Easterners have no reason not to support him in the coming election.
Atiku promised the electorates in Imo that if elected next year, he would tackle the security challenges facing the country.
“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 former vice-president also promised to deal with the country’s security challenges and take active steps towards restructuring the country if elected next year
“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.
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“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.”
“I want to assure you that you will have no cause to regret voting PDP. The PDP witnessed the greatest growth in this country during its years. We shall repeat it and even surpass what we did when were in government.
“I assure you and I swear to God, we are capable of doing it again because those of us who did it last time are still alive and strong. See me here. So, the people of Imo and the South-East, you have absolutely no reason to vote for any other party other than PDP,” he said
Speaking earlier,the National Chairman of the party,Iyorcha Ayu, warned that the party would not tolerate division in the party adding everybody must work together in the coming election.
He assured the supporters that if Atiku is elected, he will bring development to Imo and tackle insecurity.
“The state is a PDP state. Since 1999, the state has always been a PDP state. All (the indigenes) that left, including Rochas Okorocha, were all PDP. We must ensure unity to win. We won’t tolerate division in the party. We must work together and produce the president on the 25th of February.
“Everybody must be united. I want you to work together and produce the president. On the 25th of February, everybody should come out as one united PDP family.
“Mobilise everybody,vote for Atiku Abubakar as president and all other candidates running on the platform of PDP. Once you win the presidency, take it for granted that Imo is back in the hands of PDP. We will take the issue of Governor from there. I don’t want you to be divided,”he said
On the issue of security,Ayu said, the biggest challenge facing Imo state is the issue of security adding that the state and it’s people can’t develope in the atmosphere of insecurity.
“I want you to solve the issue of insecurity in Imo by voting for a president who understands the country,who has controlled security services in this country as vice-president. Once you’ve done that we shall tackle as a party the issue of insecurity in every part of this country particularly in Imo so that our people can go back to what they like doing best.
“Igbo people are prosperous people and we will support the youths and women,” Ayu promised
Earlier, the PDP vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, said the Imo youths had shown they were ready to vote for the PDP, adding entrepreneurs and youths in the state would benefit “immensely” from an Atiku presidency.
The Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Governor Aminu Tambuwal, told the crowd that Atiku was familiar with the issues of the state as well as the entire South-East.
“He is here seeking your support to recover this country,” he said.