Come Let Us Rescue, Rebuild, Reposition Nigeria, Atiku Beckons On PDP Members

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday inaugurated the Presidential Campaign Council to lead campaign activities of its presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The inauguration which took place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, is in line with directive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that political parties should commence campaign for national offices ahead of the 2023 general election.

The presidential flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar charged PDP members nationwide and other well-meaning Nigerians to join him in the mission to rescue, rebuild and reposition Nigeria.

He said it is imperative for Nigerians to work with the PDP to take over the mantle of leadership from the party that drove them into current socio- economic and political predicaments.

Emphasizing unity of purpose, he appealed all PDP members to be united and come together to ensure total victory at the polls next year.

He said “our task is to come together to rescue and rebuild our beloved country, Nigeria. That is the end goal. It is existential to us as a nation, and it is a task that history beckons upon us all to grasp with both hands and undertake with vigour and zeal.”

In his speech at the inauguration, Atiku further said: “It is my fervent hope and prayer that every man and woman of goodwill will join hands with us to help rescue, rebuild and reposition our beloved country, Nigeria.

“In May 2015, Our Great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, in an orderly, peaceful and rancour free manner, handed over the reins of government at the centre to the opposition party, the APC, having lost the presidential elections a few months earlier. Four years later, in 2019, and in spite of the drift, economic desolation, challenges of insecurity and massive dislocations to the lives of our citizens witnessed under the APC government in those years, and notwithstanding that our great party had put before the Nigerian people, a demonstrably better plan for recovery and development of our nation, our party was, once again, schemed out in the elections held that year in the most devious manner.

“It is a testament to the patriotism, dedication to constitutionalism and law and order, and the unshakable belief in the rule of law and the supremacy of the courts in our land, that our great party, the PDP, chose and pursued redress in the one and only way laid down by law – through the courts. Of course, you all know how that ended so, there is no need to bore you with details.

“Since the loss at the polls of 2019 till now, and under the watch of the current APC government, our dear country has witnessed a frightening descent into anarchy. Our nation is currently in the throes of a multidimensional crisis encompassing insecurity, economic meltdown, disunity and mutual mistrust, to mention a few.

“To start with, the current government has failed at the very essence of what makes a government: the security of lives and property of its citizens. Our security challenges are legion, and I do not need to bore you by rehashing them here.

“Our economy is in shambles, growth has stagnated, and our people are facing massive existential challenges daily. Hunger is the norm today in our country.

“Our nation is in disarray. The fabric of unity that binds our country is, today, being torn apart by mutual distrust, ethnic and sectarian strife and we are now more disunited than we have ever been in our history, including even when we fought a civil war.

“Our educational system is comatose. Nothing more underscores this than the twin embarrassing facts of the number of children that are currently out of school, and the length of time that University students have been kept out of their classrooms this year, as a result of the ASUU strike.

Our system of government is broken. Our current system is unfair, unwieldy, skewed towards favouring the federal government at the expense of the other federating units, and has in itself, become a willing tool for underdevelopment. This kind of system of government is no longer suited to the challenges of a twenty first century economy that works for everyone and that is needed to bring development closer to our people.

“But all hope is not lost. We have a plan to address these issues and to arrest the drift of our nation. These plans have been laid our in the document titled “My Covenant With Nigerians”.

In specific terms, the presidential candidate said his plans for Nigeria and Nigerians are; “to restore Nigeria’s unity through equity, social justice, mutual collaboration, and consensus among our diverse peoples.

“To build a strong and effective democratic government where the safety and security of our people and their property is our primary and singularly most important responsibility.

“To establish a strong, resilient, inclusive and prosperous economy that generates opportunity, jobs and wealth while lifting the poor out of poverty.

“To encourage the adoption of a true federal system that provides where all the federating units are equal, and has a fair and representative federal government that secures our borders, defends our people and ensures national unity, whilst allowing the federating units to develop and grow in line priorities which they have set on their own.

“To redevelop, invest in, and strengthen our education system in order to provide its recipients with the education and skills needed to compete in the new global order driven by innovation, science, and technology, as well as to live healthy, productive, and meaningful lives.

“To undertake these tasks, the members of our party, the PDP, have, graciously, granted me the ticket to lead the party in next year’s presidential elections, with the singular mandate to come and lead the efforts to cure these ills.

“So, what is our task that we are gathered here today to undertake? It is beyond merely coming together to inaugurate a Presidential Campaign Council. No!

However, five serving governors of the party were absent at the inauguration and a book launch due to reason that might not be unconnected to the current crisis between the Atiku’s and Governor Wike’s camp.

The governors are Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Abia state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state.

Governor’s present were; Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Delta State Governor, Ifeayni Okowa, Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Adamawa, Ahmadu Fintri and Taraba State Governor, Dairus Ishaku.

Others are, former Vice President, Arch. Nanamdi Sambo,former governors; Sule Lamido, Ibrahim Shekarau, Shehu Shema and Liyel IImoke, and former PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

Leaders of the party in attendance were; former Presidents of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Anyim Pius Anyim, former Speaker House of Representatives, Gali Na’aba,

Also present, House Minority leader, Ndidi Elumelu, Acting National Chairman, Amb. Ilya Damagum and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).