I am the author of restructuring – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has described himself as the author of restructuring, claiming that he will be Nigeria’s President from May 29 this year and that President Muhammadu Buhari must go.

The former Vice-President spoke on Monday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, near Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State, while campaigning, along with other leaders of PDP.

President Buhari will also be at the same Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium on Tuesday, in continuation of his presidential campaigns.

Atiku, who was accompanied by one of his wives, Jennifer, and other leaders of PDP, got to the stadium at 2:27 p.m., for campaign slated for 10 a.m., when many tired members of the party had left the venue, in view of stress, caused by the scorching sun, with one of the Masters of Ceremonies (MCs) continually announcing: “Close the back gate,” when the stadium almost became empty.

When the vice-presidential candidate of PDP, Peter Obi, was asked to speak, he kept shouting in pidgin English: “Rivers people, make una wait now.”

The rally was also attended by former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was accompanied by his wife, Dame Patience; Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike; his counterpart of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; the Director-General of PDP’s Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Senate President; the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, an indigene of Andoni LGA of Rivers state; and Rivers Chairman of PDP, Chief Felix Obuah; among other leaders of the party.

Atiku said: “Let me use this opportunity to pay tribute to a Nigerian who is patriotic, who is fearless, who is courageous, who is hardworking and who believes in this country. That Nigerian is Governor Wike. Wike and I have a few things in common. We no dey fear ooo. Do you want somebody we dey fear to lead you. It means if he is afraid, you will all be finished. I want to commend him (Wike) for the hard work he has done in Rivers State. I have been part and parcel of this state (Rivers) since 1984. I have not seen one single governor who has transformed this state to such a level that you can compare it with any modernised state.

“I have been to many parts of this state (Rivers). The places where I used to go with boats, now I can do by road and cars, sitting comfortably. Wike did all this. He deserves a second term. He deserves to be re-elected. I know you are going to re-elect him. Wike, carry go.

“If you elect PDP, which I am sure you are going to elect, and if you elect Atiku, you know that I am the author of restructuring. I will give it (restructuring) to Niger Delta and I will give it to all parts of this country. We must restructure.

Read Also: APC has bastardised economy, says Atiku

“It is the Obasanjo/Atiku administration that started the East-West Road. Till today, it is not finished. It is not finished, because you did not vote for PDP in 2015 to continue. APC came and halted it. If you vote for PDP again, we are going to finish it.

“Your ports (sea) that do not work to create jobs, the Port Harcourt Port and Onne Port, we will complete them, so that we can create thousands of jobs for young men and women in Rivers State.

“You can see that APC has not done anything for you. They have not done anything for Niger Delta. They have not done anything for Southsouth. Every development that you have got in Rivers State, Southsouth or Niger Delta is PDP. So, continue to vote for PDP. I beg you.

“I want to assure you that I will protect the constitution (of Nigeria). You know sey nobody go court reach me in Nigeria, to protect our constitution. I will protect separation of powers. I will not interfere with the National Assembly, because I believe in checks and balances. I will not interfere with the judiciary, because it is part and parcel of our checks and balances. I will uphold the rule of law. I will not allow rule of law to be trampled by anybody.”

The presidential candidate of PDP also alleged that his counterpart of APC was preaching violence, claiming that it was not the first time that President Buhari would do so, stressing that Nigerians wanted peace, development, prosperity and jobs, while not being ready to fight one another again, declaring that: “Buhari must go.”

Jonathan stated that Atiku would be Nigeria’s president from May 29, 2019, describing Rivers state as totally PDP, claiming that Nigeria had not made progress since he left office on May 29, 2015, after his humiliating defeat by President Buhari, the first of its kind in Nigeria’s history, for a sitting president to lose election.

Wike said: “We have darkness and light (in Nigeria). APC is darkness. PDP is light. Do you want to vote for darkness? It is a war between dictatorship and freedom. Do you want dictatorship? Dictatorship is APC. Freedom is PDP. Are you Atikulated?”

Secondus described Atiku as the next president of Nigeria, alleging that APC was in disarray, with its leaders desperate and confused, making them to allegedly be running from pillar to post, while insisting that the presidential candidate of PDP would be a winner on February 16, with Buhari to have no choice, but to leave the presidential villa on May 29 this year and return to his Daura hometown.

National chairman of PDP maintained that Atiku had capacity, energy, being innovative, would be able to work for 24 hours daily and would be fully in charge as the Commander-in-Chief, claiming that the party’s presidential candidate would be the next helmsman of Nigeria this year.

Saraki urged Nigerians to come out en masse on Saturday and vote for Atiku and other candidates of PDP, in order to move the nation forward, while claiming that his party’s presidential candidate would change Nigeria and put an end to the current poverty.

Obi claimed that the only person who could make Nigeria to work again would be Atiku.

Rivers chairman of PDP assured that people of the state would give Atiku 100 per cent votes, while presenting 58 governorship candidates of other political parties in the state, who decided to adopt Wike, thereby withdrawing their candidacy to back the PDP’s governorship candidate in Rivers.

While also speaking, the Presidential Campaign Coordinator in Rivers state, Senator Olaka Worgu, noted that for better life, Nigerians must massively vote for Atiku on Saturday, stressing that Nigerians deserved better than they were currently getting from the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of President Buhari.

The rally was rounded off at 3:36 p.m.