The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has accused his challenger on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, of not having anything to offer after being part of the PDP administration that “plundered” Nigeria’s wealth as Vice President.
Tinubu said Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is right in the crisis bewildering the PDP, stressing that Atiku has “no integrity”.
He accused Atiku of establishing a university too expensive for Nigerians to attend while in office as Vice President.
The APC presidential standard-bearer said this at the party’s presidential rally at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano State on Wednesday.
Tinubu said Nigerians should not be deceived by allowing the PDP return to power in 2023, adding that the party’s return to power would be “a return to maladministration in all areas”.
He added that he has continued to refute the lies concerning his health by his continuous participation in the campaigns, urging the people of Kano State to vote him in the forthcoming presidential election.
The former governor of Lagos State said he has what it takes to continue the developmental strides started by President Muhammadu Buhari after the “16 inglorious years of the PDP in power”.
Tinubu said: “We can make Nigeria better, safer, and more prosperous. We can educate our youth, feed our people and put an end to fear. We can do these things. We can move you forward.
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“But the others cannot. They want to hold you back so that only they can move forward. They offer nothing but fake promises and easy answers that hold no water. All they can show you is how to hate your fellow Nigerian and reject your neighbour.
“But they cannot show you how to protect our society, feed our people, provide jobs and care for those in true need of help.
“Let me say this clearly and plainly. This campaign is about our collective march to a better Nigeria. Do we march forward? Or do we lose sight of the road?
“We must march forward. But we cannot forget how they frittered away our Commonwealth. For 16 years they toyed with our lives and the future of this country. They spent $16 billion on electricity, but they procured darkness instead. They didn’t remember the pipelines and processing facilities to give us electricity. They shared the electricity generation money among themselves and their cronies.
“Neither he nor his party can keep their promise. Tell me how will they keep their promise to the nation. No wonder, their party is in tatters! Governor Wike was right when he talked about a lack of integrity, saying ‘look at the man and his history’.
“Their contribution to institutional-building is to create an electoral commission to rig elections, not to conduct transparent polls, and to establish EFCC to witch-hunt political opponents, not to fight corruption.
“PDP and its candidate do not have your interests at heart. They do not mean well for you; they do not mean well for the country. They mouthed Green Revolution, but their regime only worked to increase food importation bill for their 16 years. What they understand is ‘consumption economy’ not ‘production-based economy’.”
He listed some of President Buhari’s achievements in seven-and-half years to include the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme particularly in rice production, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and the Second Niger Bridge, amongst others.
Tinubu said if elected, he would rework the public finance system to unlock the avenues for more revenues for the country just like he did in Lagos as governor.
Speaking specifically about Kano, Tinubu promised to consolidate the gains recorded in the agriculture sector.
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“For this important Kano city, we shall work with the state government to make it a first class economic mega city. Also, the famous dams such Tiga, Chalawa Gorge, Thomas, Kusalla, will get special attention.
“We shall increase irrigated land, create water catchments and implement other measures that will allow you to cultivate these lands all year round–improving productivity, creating jobs and increasing food supply while ending hunger.
“Through Commodity Exchange boards and better credit access, we will guarantee incomes for farmers while also allowing them to get affordable loans to improve their output and incomes.
“The commercial expertise of traders and businessmen in Kwari Textile Market, Sabongari Market, Singer Market will be further encouraged. Their ability to serve Kano, the Northwest, and the rest of this region of sub-Saharan Africa will be enhanced.
“My industrial policy shall revive the respected but now idle industrial estates in Sharada, Bompai, Panshekara, Jogana, etc. We have the policies and tools to make them competitive and to create thousands and thousands of new jobs for you.
“Kano’s brilliant innovators and entrepreneurs must excel and we will support them. The industrial hubs we create will expand the state’s manufacturing and commercial bases. The Digital economy, creative industries and agro-processing will flourish here. The active GSM markets in Kano will increasingly trade in products produced or assembled in Kano,” he said.
The APC presidential candidate further promised to hasten the Kano-Lagos rail line for easy movement of goods and services, adding that the Kano-Maiduguri and Kano-Kaduna-Abuja roads will be improved.
“I am your own. Kano and Lagos are the twin cities of North and South. Let us further cement that relationship not only to improve the two cities, but to move the entire nation. Let us join together for a better tomorrow. Let us renew hope,” Tinubu added.
Speaking at the rally, Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, said the support of the people of the state for Tinubu was not misplaced because “he has been tested and found worthy and can be trusted to deliver for the country.”
Others at the rally were the APC National Chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu; the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Sen. Kashim Shettima; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; and Chairman, Progressives Governors’ Forum and Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, among others.
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