2019: Atiku Declares For Presidency, Says He’ll Revamp Nigeria’s Economy, Unity, Security

BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA –Former Vice President of Nigeria and one of the presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar on Saturday in Yola, capital of his home state of Adamawa, formally declared his bid for the 2019 presidential ticket on the platform of his Party.

The declaration event which took place at the Ribadu Square in Yola in a carnival like atmosphere, witnessed leaders of the PDP from all the geo-political zones of the country and the National Working Committee of the PDP represented by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, on ground to grace the epoch event.

In his declaration speech, Atiku noted that the current All Progressives Congress (APC) government had performed below average in the management of the economy, keeping the country united and stemming the trend of wanton loss of lives and property in the country.

He said; “Fellow Nigerians, the government of APC has failed, it has failed to unite Nigerians. Today, we are more divided than in any other time in the history of this country.

“The APC government has destroyed our economy. They took over an economy with a growth of 7 per cent and brought it down to less than 2 per cent. Today we are witnessing the most insecure situation in Nigeria ever since APC took over.”

The presidential hopeful expressed sadness saying that more people have died in Nigeria under the APC than in Iran and Afghanistan even as the country’s economy continues to flounder.

In his words; “Today we have the highest unemployment rate in this country. More than 10 million of our people have been made unemployed under the watch of the APC administration”.

Atiku assured that he is poised to work with other compatriots in the PDP to secure the party’s nomination for the next year’s election and rebuild the economy and reunite the country.

According to him; “What the PDP is going to do is to restore our economy, restore hope of a greater Nigeria and ensure that we have security of lives and property.

“I therefore appeal to all of you wherever you may be that it is time to now re-embrace the party that has given us unity, prosperity and security in this country.

The Chairman of the PDP in Adamawa State Barrister Tahir Shehu used the occasion to welcomed new defectors into the PDP.