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– Appeals to Buhari to caution sponsors of thuggery – As political thugs clash
APC has failed, they don’t want PDP to win & recover Nigeria – Ayu
By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has assured the people of Kaduna State that if elected president in 2023, he would end banditry that plagued the state and revive dead industries in the state.
The former Vice President spoke even as chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) who besieged Kaduna on Monday for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign rally, said that the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC) failed Nigerians and they don’t want the PDP to win the 2023 Presidential election and recover the country.
Atiku Abubakar who spoke at the Ranchers Bees stadium in Kaduna, the venue of the PDP Presidential Campaign rally, thanked the people of Kaduna for giving him the highest number of votes in 2019.
“I will take issues concerning Kaduna serious if the people vote en mass and ensure that I win 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.”
Apparently worried by the activities of political thugs who clashed at the stadium and tried to disrupt the rally, Atiku appealed to 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.
In his remarks, the Vice-presidential candidate of the party, Governor Ifenayichukwu Okowa, said the people of Southern Nigeria are ready to vote for PDP and Atiku Abubakar in 2023.
He recalled that the PDP was successful in the recent gubernatorial election in Osun state and the people were ready to vote for the party en masse in 2023
“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,” he said.
The Director General of the Atiku’s Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state, alleged that there were moves to stop the PDP from holding a campaign rally in Kaduna.
“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 backwards,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Atiku’s Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state alleged that there were efforts to throw a spanner in PDP’s campaign but it 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.
National Chairman of the PDP, Iyiocha Ayu said despite being denied the proposed venue for the rally, the PDP has shown that if rallies were held even 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,” he said.
Those at the rally include the Director-General of the campaign Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Former governor of Cross Rivers state Liyel Imoke, Senate Minority Leader Senator Aduda.,former Governor of Osun state Olagunsoye Oyinlola and members of the National Working Committee,
Also at the rally were the National Organizing Secretary of the PDP and Director of field operations of the campaign, Hon. Umar Bature, National Youth Leader, Muhammad Suleiman Kadade, the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Kaduna state, Hon. Isa Ashiru Kudan, former Governor of Adamawa state, Mr Boni Haruna, former Governor of Niger State Muazu Babangida Aliyu, among others.
Meanwhile,. Felix Hassan Hyat, the Kaduna State PDP Chairman and Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen Forum, has said ” it has become very necessary at this point to address our teeming supporters and the entire nation on the sad and unfortunate political situation in our dear country today.”
He said in a statement that “as you are aware, the presidential candidate of our party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alh. Atiku Abubakar was billed to hold his presidential rally in Kaduna State tomorrow, Monday 17th October 2022 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium.”
” Regrettably, the APC-led federal government through the Minister of Sports denied our party the opportunity to use the facility despite applying for it more than seven days before the date of the rally. It is instructive to note that we received the correspondence withholding approval only yesterday, 15th October 2022 citing renovation work on the facility as an excuse.”
“However, a physical tour of the stadium has revealed that there’s no renovation work ongoing either on the main bowl of the stadium or its adjoining structures. This is even as the same facility was used for the 2022 Eid-el-Moulud prayers just last Monday.”
“Surprisingly, today Sunday 16th October 2022, we received another correspondence dated …. intimating us of approval by the Honourable Minister, less than 24 hours to the commencement of the rally and after the Kaduna State Government had approved Ranchers’ Bees Stadium as an alternative venue for us. Without any doubt, there was simply no initial intention to grant us approval to use the facility by the Minister and thus the late approval was done deliberately as a pretence.”
“We are concerned by this apparent abuse of power by the APC-led federal government which, to say the least, constitutes a serious threat to our nation’s democracy. The Honourable Minister needs to be reminded that public facilities such as the Ahmadu Bello Stadium are our commonwealth and approval for their use should be given to all shades of citizens and groups without discrimination.”
“We, therefore, condemn this grave abuse of power in its entirety and demand a stop to such show of political brigandage,” he alleged.
Mr Hassan Hyet explained that “the people of Kaduna S.tate, as things stand, are with the PDP candidate and no amount of clandestine plots to discourage people from turning out will deter them from coming out en masse to show their support for the PDP candidate at the rally tomorrow and in the elections come February 2022.”
“May I also use this opportunity to express our deepest regrets and apology for any inconvenience the rally might cause commuters, and business owners along the Kaduna Township Stadium (formerly known as Rancher’s Bees) route,” he said.
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