Follow Us on Google
From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Ahead of the 2023 general election, Hausa, Igbo and other ethnic communities in Ogun State have pledged to mobilise no fewer than four million votes for the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to emerge the next president.
They made this pledge at a rally organised for Atiku and his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, on Saturday, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The rally which was attended by hundreds of members of other ethnic groups living in the state was held at the pavilion of the Ake Palace.
The leader of the Igbo community in Ogun State, Kinsley Chukwuleta who spoke on behalf of the other tribes, described Atiku as the most experienced candidate who can fix Nigeria and return the country to the path of greatness.
Chukwuleta said, “We came out to support him (Atiku) because we know he has the experience, he has been to Aso Villa before as the Vice President of Nigeria and if he becomes the President, he will unite Nigeria.
“In Ogun state here, Atiku is going to get 4 million votes from us. He has the experience, he has been there before, he is not new to the system, he can fix things quickly and he can make Nigeria one.”
Also speaking, the chairman of Arewa PDP Solidarity Forum in Ogun State, Shuiabu Ghanga, declared that the votes of the Hausa people living in the state are for Atiku.
“70 to 80 per cent of Hausa people living in Ogun State are in the PDP. As far as we are concerned the votes of Hausas in Ogun State are for Atiku, we are going one way.
“We believe Atiku will solve all this insecurity in Nigeria, kidnapping here, banditry there, we believe when Atiku becomes the president, he will right the wrongs of this APC government.”
Addressing the rally, the governorship aspirant of the party, Ladi Adebutu described Atiku as the “unifier” who has continued to promote the unity of the country.
He urged members of the party not to be distracted by the current wranglings in the party, assuring that the party will come out top at the 2023 general elections.
Adebutu said, “We are happy that we have somebody joining us together, His Excellency, Waziri Atiku Abubakar. It is not in dispute that he is our leader and we shall all work hard to make him the president of Nigeria. He is the unifier. We have a duty to do him proud and do ourselves proud. We must continue to promote his ideologies.
“I want to reassure you that all the shenanigans of these naysayers, of these terrible human beings, have failed in their mission to disrupt our party.
“Let us stay united, don’t be distracted by their shenanigans. They can fit a purpose to distract us, they have worked for their pay, they have worked for their purpose, they have done their job, but let us be focused, in the next few weeks we will be free and when we are free, we will continue our journey.
“We have no fear, these people have failed, they have failed to provide us security, they have failed to provide us good governance, they have failed to provide us food. The economy is failing every day, we are hungrier by the day, and they are weaponising poverty.
“They claim that the foreign exchange is crashing therefore we have to buy things at more exorbitant prices and because of that there is inflation, our people are suffering from hunger, but I tell you, relief has come, just hang in there for four months, in four months’ time, we shall get salvation, we shall get a renewal,” Adebutu submitted.
