The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has assured Nigerians of his commitment to the fulfilment of his campaign promises if elected president of Nigeria in the February 25 general elections.
The APC candidate stated this on Sunday at an endorsement rally organised by the Arewa Community in Lagos.
The event, which was held at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Onikan witnessed the presence of Nigerians of Northern extraction who came to offer their support to the former Lagos State governor.
“My respect for this country will continue to increase, and I will honour all my pledges that we all will live in harmony. We belong in each other’s hearts,” Tinubu said.
He also assured that his government would be for all Nigerians, regardless of their tribes and faith.
“From the moment I enlisted in politics, I have always been nationalistic and detribalized in my approach. I do not operate based on ethnicity, region or religion. I have friends and associates in all corners of this country.
“As governor of Lagos State, I constituted a cabinet, comprising competent people from all parts of Nigeria. We had the Yoruba, as we had the Igbo and Arewa. What was important to me was not your ethnicity or creed, it was your competence and the value you would bring to governance and people. To replicate this feat for the country is why I have offered myself for the presidency,” he said.
On his plans for the country particularly the North, Tinubu promised to tackle the security challenges being experienced across the country, stating that the economy cannot thrive in an insecure environment.
“If elected president, my highest priorities shall be the protection of our land and the prosperity of its people. I shall tackle this nation’s problems with a commitment to solving them.
“I will give priority to confronting security, making the economy one of widely shared prosperity and paying special attention to agriculture like the present government of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).
“On security, my policy is not an artificial one created to sound good for this campaign. Our security policy is based on dedicated study and long conversations with experts in this field.
“I used the same approach to tackle the bad security situation that faced me when I became governor of Lagos. I created programs and institutions to solve the real and dangerous challenges Lagos faced. I shall increase security personnel and better equip them. Advanced air and ground surveillance technology will identify, track and attack the criminals until they are utterly defeated.”
He also promised to provide jobs for the nation’s youths, while also ensuring that electricity generation is improved to enable more people to start up small businesses to feed their families and dependents.
He added that great attention would be given to agriculture, to ensure that there is increased food security through enhanced productivity and improved farm incomes, thus returning farming to its pride of place.
The APC candidate also promised to revive road and rail infrastructure for the ease of movement of people and cargo, among other interventions.
“We will invest in the Kolmani Oil Wells Project inaugurated by the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and indeed in all vital infrastructural projects such as the Mambilla Power Project, the AKK gas pipeline projects.
“We shall revive our inland waterways through the dredging of the River Niger and make sure we cut down on our steel import bill by making the Ajaokuta Steel Company work,” he added.
Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje described Tinubu as “a symbol of unity, a product of unity in diversity. He is the right person to be endorsed by Arewa and the best for the presidency,” he said.
The Chairman, Arewa Community APC, Saadu Yusuf Gulma Dandare, lauded Tinubu for his stewardship while serving as governor of Lagos state, assuring that Nigeria would be a better place under his presidency.
