Atiku: We are ready for Saturday’s election

* Promises to work for better Nigeria, if elected

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, has declared that it is fully ready for the Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

This is as the national leadership of the PDP has expressed the firm optimism that its five aggrieved Governors, popularly called G-5, who are led by the Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyeson Wike, will work for the party in the forthcoming elections.

The Director, Voter Intelligence and Strategy of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Chief Osita Chidoka and the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Hon Debo Ologunagba made these disclosures at separate press conferences on Wednesday in Abuja.

Chidoka, who spoke at the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign office, pointedly declared that the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign, as a team are ready and willing to work to ensure a better country for us all.

According to him, “The PDP is ready for the elections. The election day plans are driven by data, technology, tested process and most importantly, our people on the ground in the entire 176,606 polling units in the country.

“PDP is fielding candidates for all 109 senate seats and 360 house of representative seats. Every single person on the PDP ticket is committed to making the country great again.

“We have seen first-hand what 8 years of APC has done to our people and we are determined to right the wrongs of the last 8 years.

“No doubt Nigeria is currently moving at great speed in the wrong direction. But together, we can pull the brakes and reverse the direction.

“Our party, the PDP has done it before, and the records are there for every Nigerian to see.

“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s manifesto has shown the plans for Nigerians and we, as a party, pledge to deliver on our promises to all Nigerians when you elect us back into office.

“Come out to vote on Saturday, and let us open a new, prosperous page in the book of our national history.

“We have spent time and resources training all our agents across the 176,847 polling units. We have also trained all the agents in the 8,809 wards and 774 local governments. Our agents will ensure nobody your vote.

“We have campaigned across the length and breadth of the nation, and not just spoken to Nigerians about what our plans are, but listened to you tell us what problems you want us to solve for you.

“Our presidential candidate, Alhaji

Atiku Abubakar and vice-presidential candidate Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa both know the pains ordinary Nigerians are going through because of the ruinous and poorly implemented policies of a poorly. We, as a team are ready and willing to work to ensure a better country for us all”, he said.

On his part, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon Ologunagba pointed out that members of the G-5 Governor’s of the party are all stakeholders who have benefitted from it and would not do anything to hurt the party’s interest.

He stated that the differences between the PDP and the G-5 Governors can still be resolved, saying, “24 hours is too much in politics for issues to be resolved”

Speaking about the party’s presidential candidate and his campaign, the National Publicity Secretary said, “Through the course of the campaign, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa energetically traversed the nooks and crannies of our country, engaging various segments of Nigerians in diverse fora; consultative meetings, interactive sessions, Town Hall meetings, faith-based platforms, media interviews and political rallies articulating their plans, solutions and selling the message of hope to Nigerians.

“Atiku Abubakar continues to demonstrate that he is a Pan-Nigeria leader with the required experience, capacity, integrity, stamina, presence of mind, commitment, sense of duty and readiness to lead our nation at this critical time.

“In contrast however, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its embattled Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in their vacuity, arrogance and entitlement mentality treated Nigerians with unpardonable disdain by refusing to engage the people in interactive sessions, debates and media interviews. “This is a clear indication that the APC and its Presidential Candidate are incapable and have nothing to offer Nigerians.

“While Atiku Abubakar continues to engage Nigerians on issues that are critical to our nation; including National Unity and Stability, Security, Restructuring, Infrastructural Development, empowerment of the people through diversification, Asiwaju Tinubu abdicated because he has no solution to the myriads of problems brought upon our nation by the APC which he admitted to have brought into office.

“Since his emergence as the Presidential Candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Tinubu and the APC have not been able to engage in campaign on issues rather their focus have been on individuals and irrelevances, even display of unseriousness and comics”, he said.