The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, says it’s highly imperative for Nigerians of South East extraction to vote for the party in the 2023 elections.
Atiku said this when he took his campaign to Owerri, Imo State on Saturday.
Atiku opined that the South-East has no reason not to back the party with their votes come February 25, 2023.
“I want to assure you that you will have no cause to regret voting PDP. The PDP witnessed the greatest growth in this country during its years. We shall repeat it and even surpass what we did when were in government,” Atiku told a crowd of supporters.
“I assure you and I swear to God, we are capable of doing it again because those of us who did it last time are still alive and strong. See me here. So, the people of Imo and the South-East, you have absolutely no reason to vote for any other party other than PDP.”
Atiku courted the support of his party’s stalwarts in the All Progressives Congress (APC) stronghold with reference to his Igbo ties “for many decades” and his self-professed ability to bring economic and systemic transformation to the region.
“For me, it is a homecoming to Imo again. The first chieftaincy title to be given to me in the South East was given to me here in Imo State – Nwanne Di N’Mba of Ngo Okpala. This Imo airport, we dashed it to the people of Imo.
“Our community, the community to which I belong, the community that honoured me first in the South-East. That is why if I am the president, Imo is the presidency. It is your own presidency.
“I want to assure you that if I have the opportunity and you elect me, business and trading will pick up again because, in my policy document, I said I am going to set aside $10 billion just to empower women and young men in business. So, there will be absolutely no need for any young man or woman not to have something to do,” he said.
The PDP standard bearer also promised to deal with the country’s security challenges and take active steps towards restructuring the country.