Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has vowed to revive dead manufacturing industries in Kaduna as well as end banditry which has plagued Kaduna for years, even as suspected thugs disrupted his campaign rally in the northern Nigerian state, The Guardian reports.
Speaking at the presidential rally which took place at the Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna, the Waziri Adamawa thanked the residents of Kaduna for giving him the highest number of votes back in the 2019 presidential election and vowed to take issues concerning Kaduna serious if the people vote en masse and ensure he wins the 2023 election.
He said: “Let me thank you for your support in 2019. You gave me the highest number of votes in 2019 and I believe you will do so this time around. I have come here on behalf of PDP to tell you If you vote for us, we will end insecurity in Kaduna. We will revive the industries in Kaduna in partnership with the private sector of Kaduna.”
Reacting earlier to reports of an attack on PDP members by suspected APC thugs at the rally, Mr Atiku urged President Buhari to call on all parties to call their supporters and members to order and to ensure that campaigns, just as with the elections themselves, are kept free, fair and safe.
The former Nigerian vice president would later take to Twitter to voice his concern.
“I have just received emergency reports of attacks on PDP supporters by thugs sponsored to scuttle the ongoing PDP campaign rally in Kaduna State. This is undemocratic and against the Peace Accord all parties signed up for just a few weeks ago,” he posted on his verified Twitter account.
“I urge President Muhammadu Buhari to call on all parties to call their supporters and members to order and to ensure that campaigns, just as with the elections themselves, are kept free, fair, and safe,” Atiku stated.
It is unclear if there are casualties from the attack as of the time of filing this report.
The incident came hours after APC and PDP supporters clashed at a rally organised by the PDP in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital. The mayhem claimed the life of one person and left 18 others injured, according to the police.
Back at the Ranchers Bees Stadium, the vice-presidential candidate of the party, Governor Ifeanyichukwu Okowa, said the people of southern Nigeria are ready to vote for the PDP and Atiku come 2023 following the success of the party in the recent gubernatorial election in Osun.
“I thank God for the life of Atiku who has a solution to the problem we have in Nigeria. With Atiku as president, we should not go to bed hungry and He is ready to end insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
“Those of us in the south-south, southeast, southwest are ready to vote Atiku and the PDP. When we went to Osun, they said we wouldn’t win but we went there and we won in the home state of the APC presidential candidate. I’m happy with what I have seen here and I thank you for your support, a happy Okowa said.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Atiku’s PPCO, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state, said efforts to throw a spanner in the PDP’s campaign will fail.
“They do not want us to continue with our rallies because they are not prepared. They haven’t constituted their campaign council and so, they want to drag us back but we are moving on with our campaign.
“The people of Kaduna have seen and felt the negative impact of the APC and when Atiku gets into power by Next year, all the factories will return Insha Allah.
“His administration will ensure we invigorate our economy to have jobs and better life. I urge the people of Kaduna to come out in their millions to vote come February 2023.
The Party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in his remarks said despite being denied the prosed venue for the rally, the PDP has shown that if rallies were held on the road, they will always be successful.
“When they go low, we go high. they wanted to stop this rally, but they can’t. Whether they give us the venue or not, we will do our rally on the road and win. APC has failed. They don’t want us to recover this country and win. Let nobody deceive himself that we are going to lose. We are united and will win all our elections in Kaduna.”
Those at the rally include the Director-General of the campaign Governor Tambuwal, Governor of Edo State Godwin Obaseki, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Former governor of Cross Rivers state Liyel Imoke, Former governor of Osun state Olagunsoye Oyinlola, members of the National Working Committee.
Others are the national organizing secretary of the PDP, who is also the director of field operations of the campaign, Hon. Umar Bature, the party’s national youth leader, Muhammad Suleiman Kadade, the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Kaduna state, Hon. Isa Ashiru Kudan, former Governor of Adamawa and Niger states, Mr Boni Haruna and Muazu Babangida Aliyu.
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