The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has described the 2023 presidential election as “a race like none before”, saying it would be a marathon that would require the energy of all the members of the main opposition party.

Atiku said his campaign, ahead of the 2023 presidential election, would be concerned about his track records of performance when he served as Vice President between 1999 and 2007.

The former Vice President noted that his second asset was the policy document that details the work plan of what he would do to “rescue Nigeria back to her glorious heights”.

The PDP standard-bearer made this known via a statement he personally issued, a copy of which was made available to The Star on Sunday.

He said: “We are not in the race to play to the gallery, now that the formalities about candidates’ emergence are concluded… with the electoral umpire coming up with public presentation of candidates in all federal elections, it is safe to say that from this moment onwards, the warm-up to the race can only get more intense.

“But we must be clear about one thing: this is a race like none before. It will be a marathon and it will require all of the energies that we can muster.

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“Dear compatriot, my promise to you as we run this race together is that as your candidate, I shall ensure that we remain focused and disciplined. And I shall expect the same spirit of sportsmanship from you.

“The 2023 election is neither about me nor any of the other candidates we are contesting with – or their agents. It is about the pathway that our dear country, Nigeria, must chart into a brighter and more prosperous future.

“Our assets in this campaign are my track records of performance when I served as Vice President between 1999 – 2007. The second asset is the policy document that details the work plan of what we shall do to rescue Nigeria back to her glorious heights. Above all, my attributes as a Unifier and Bridge-builder bar none will stand us in good stead in this era characterised by disunity and absence of inclusion.

“Our opponents will want to confuse you with alternative facts as we progress and when the campaign starts in full. But I will urge you to always remain focused and remember that that is not why we are in the race.

“The urgency of the job to get Nigeria back on her feet as ONE People, with One Future and ONE Country cannot give us the luxury of playing to the gallery,” Atiku stated.

The Star