Lagos PDP Urges Nigerians To Vote Atiku Abubakar As Next President

As Nigerians prepare to vote their next president on Saturday February 25, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State have declared that the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in May 29, 2023

The leaders, who spoke separately on Wednesday at the party’s stakeholders meeting held at the Lagos PDP secretariat on Agege Motor road, Onipetesi-Ikeja, said that the Nigerian economy was better before the All Progressives Congress (APC) got into power in 2015.

Former Minister of Cooperation and Integration in Africa during Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Chief Abimbola Ogunkelu, said that Atiku was sure to win the Saturday poll, urging Nigerians to come out enmass to vote him, and not allow anybody to scare them.

Ogunkelu, while applauding the commitment and determination of chieftains and members of the party, declared pointedly that Atiku would be voted in Saturday as next president of the country, urging Nigerians to vote with their index fingers to make their votes count.

The party chieftain noted that Nigerians were currently in pains economically, among others, saying that this was not the situation during  the 16 years that the PDP was in power between 1999 and 2015.

According to him, under PDP rule, Nigeria’s economy was adjudged as the fastest growing in Africa, adding that the country’s economy is now in a shamble and the education sector in the worst state as “our children were out of schools for eight months.”

“Now we must change it. Among all the people that are campaigning, the one that can do it is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar with his vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa. Nigeria is on the road to break up. What we need is restructuring. We ran a truly federal system of government in the First Republic until the military came. Now everything produced in Nigeria goes to the Federal Government, which now gives stipends to the states.

“Restructuring is the only way out. The only one that has espoused it is Atiku. So Atiku will restructure the country, the economy, and implement all his programmes and rescue the country.

"It is important we vote for Atiku on Saturday,” he said.

The former PDP Chairman in the state, Capt. Tunji Shelle, while welcoming the executive members and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) into the meeting, said that the Saturday poll was one that must be taken seriously.

Shelle said that Nigerians must be prepared to sacrifice by voting and ensuring that their votes count, even as he assured that BVAS was going to take care of rigging.

He described the PDP Presidential Candidate as a unifier, a disciplined and very humble leader, that would get what the country wanted “from a bad situation," assuring that he would surely win the Saturday poll and bring succour to the people by reviving the country’s economy once he takes over as the next president of the country.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Lagos PDP Chairman, Mr Phillip Aivoji, stated that the event was organised to let the whole world know that the party's exco and members in the state were one and united without any division.

Aivoji said that Atiku would emerge victorious in Saturday’s election, saying that the presidential candidate stood out amongst all those contesting the position in the country.

He noted that only two geo- political zones; South-East and North-East have not produced the president, saying that Atiku is from North-East and is qualified to contest.

“That is why we should vote Atiku, he is the only one that stands out. He has been with us in SDP. He stood down for the late Chief MKO Abiola. He has sacrificed for Nigeria.

”People from the North-East have not been there as president since the return of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999. Atiku will win the seat and you will not be disappointed because it is God’s project.

“Atiku will win, reject their money, and come out to vote. I want to call on security agencies to be alive to their duties. Take your destiny into your hand and don’t be afraid,” Aivoji said.

The Lagos State Coordinator of NURTW, Comrade Olusola Akingbola, in his remark, said that Nigerians desired a president that respects the country’s constitution, “and not one that would use area boys against us,” recalling that Atiku demonstrated his respect for the country’s constitution when he served under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“NURTW is recognized by the Federal Government, go out and vote Atiku Abubakar. Don’t be afraid, go out and vote, they have been using us all the time. Resist them this time around, and defend your votes,” he said.

The stakeholders meeting was attended by chieftains and members of the party in the state.