Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 general elections, even as he promised to
unite the country and save her from the jaws of insecurity and economic
mismanagement.
Abubakar spoke while addressing members of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), party stakeholders and several support groups at the Enugu state
office of PDP, ahead of the national convention of the party to select its
presidential candidate for the 2019 general elections.
The front line presidential aspirant, who was earlier received at Akanu
Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, by thousands of supporters, drove
through the city of Enugu in a long motorcade that disrupted traffic
temporarily as they moved to the PDP secretariat.
The former vice president, who presented himself as presidential aspirant
to Enugu delegates, appealed for their support by voting for him to fly
the presidential flag of the party, stressing that he has the political,
economic and administrative experience to rescue Nigeria from the current
state of economic and political quagmire that the APC government had
driven it to.
He said Enugu is a PDP state and praised members of the party in the state
for being consistent and steadfast with PDP since the present political
dispensation, which he said was responsible for the steady economic and
infrastructural development in the state due to seamless continuity.
Abubakar expressed regret that the current government has run down the
economy, saying that from economic growth rate of seven percent inherited
from former President Goodluck Jonathan, the current government crashed it
to less than two percent; while it has caused the rise of unemployment to
12 million persons, at the rate of three million job loss every year.
“So if you are looking for an experienced politician, I’m here. If you are
looking for a politician who has the experience of governing, I’m also
here. If you are looking for a politician who is a business man, who can
create jobs for you, who can bring about investment for this country, I’m
also here. If you are looking for a politician who can unite this country,
whether you are Igbo, whether you are Yoruba, whether you are Hausa or
Fulani, whatever you are, I’m also here.
“So, my brothers and sisters of Enugu state, we are facing challenging
times in our country, today, our economy is at its lowest ebb. You know
what? The last PDP government of President Jonathan achieved an economic
growth of over seven percent; this government took it over and crashed it
to less than two percent.
“This government has brought the worst insecurity in this country. Today
in my part of the country, our traders cannot go to the market, our
farmers cannot farm; simply because they will come and kidnap them, they
will come and kill them,” he lamented.
In their remarks, some stakeholders and dignitaries who were on hand to
receive the presidential aspirant and his team including former governor
of old Enugu state and former national chairman of PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze
Nwodo, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Chief Dubem Onyia,
Sen. Fidelis Okolo, and Sen Hyde Onuaguluchi, all expressed confidence in
Atiku’s ability and experience to rescue the country.