The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has promised that the party would improve the country’s safety and youth education if voted for in the forthcoming presidential election.
The former Lagos State Governor also backed the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for questioning the suitability of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, for the office of the president.
Tinubu stated this on Wednesday during a campaign rally in Kano.
He said, “We can make Nigeria better, safer and more prosperous. We can educate our youths, feed our people, and put an end to fear. We can do these things. We can move you forward. 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. They cannot show you how to protect our society, feed our people, provide jobs and care for those in true need of help.
“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 bn 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.”
According to Tinubu, the PDP cannot be trusted to keep promises.
“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.
“The 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 bills for 16 years. What they understand is a ‘consumption economy’ not a ‘production-based economy’.”
In his remarks, the vice-presidential candidate of the APC, Senator Kashim Shettima, who spoke in Hausa, pledged that their government will construct a railway line from Kano to the Niger Republic, and establish the proposed Kano Economic City.
He said, “Today The people of Kano have shown us love, and have proved that Kano is the hub of Northern politics, a point of political direction. We appreciate you most especially for this warm reception. We assure you that by God’s grace if we are elected, the Kano AKK Gas Line from Ajakuta through Kaduna State will be completed, and we will complete Kano Expressway to Abuja.
“Additionally, the railway that will begin from Kano through Jigawa to Daura to Niger will also be completed. The proposed Kano Economic City will be established because Kano is the hub of Nigeria.”
Also speaking, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, appreciated the people of the state for the rousing welcome.
He noted, “For us, in the APC we are not lazy, we go door to door to campaign for what we believed in and what we can do for our people and what will be beneficial for the country and our philosophy for rural development which includes the people.
“Today we have been endorsed by the people of Kano which is what we longed for. This is the foundation for the people of Nigeria that we will receive, God’s willing, in every part of the country.”
On his part, the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, thanked the mammoth crowd for turning out in large numbers, saying their support for Tinubu is not misplaced because “he has been tested and found worthy and can be trusted to deliver for the country.”
In attendance at the rally were the party’s National Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Vice Presidential Candidate Senator Kashim Shettima, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and Chairman, Progressives Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kebbi, Senator Atiku Bagudu.
Others include the Director-General of the Tinubu- Shettima Campaign Council and Plateau State Governor, Hon. Simon Lalong as well as Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Aminu Masari (Katsina) and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) among others.
