The people of the South East have been urged to take advantage of the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party with Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate to actualize their best moment in the political history of Nigeria.
The former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the PDP gave the charge on Friday at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki, while addressing crowd of the party’s supporters during his presidential campaign rally in Ebonyi State.
Abubarkar, who maintained that his time as the president would squarely address the marginalization of Ebonyi State in particular and the South East zone in general, added that the zone has already gotten the Vice President as well as the wife of the President under him, which have guaranteed the full inclusion of the zone in national affairs.
Commending Governor David Umahi for his transformational leadership and infrastructural innovations in the State, he emphasized that the PDP administration in Ebonyi State has tremendously paid off, pointing to what the party was capable of doing at the Federal level if elected.
Abubakar said: “First of all, I have been coming to this State since the creation of the State.
“The greatest transformation of this State has been undertaken by Governor Umahi.
“I want to use this opportunity to commend him for his leadership, his patriotism and sense of duty.
“Let me also say that the people of Ebonyi State have been very loyal to PDP and PDP has been loyal to Ebonyi..
“So don’t be deceived because for PDP, there is no people like Ebonyi people.
“We want to use this opportunity to commit to you that Ebonyi will never be marginalized in the Federal Government again.
“And to the people of the South East, let me tell you: I don’t know what will happen in the future, from the inception of this country, this is your best time.
“You have the Vice President, who is a South Easterner, and you have the wife of the President, who is also a South Easterner.
“This means, you have two over three.”
In his remarks, Governor Umahi noted that there has been no other party except the PDP in Ebonyi State and assured Abubakar that the State guarantees the victory of all PDP candidates during the forthcoming elections.
He, however, warned mischief makers to concentrate on how to deliver their States rather than spreading false rumours against Ebonyi State, which he said has already been settled as the “headquarters” of the PDP.
The PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, described Abubakar as the man that would rescue Nigeria from poverty, hunger and mass killings, adding that he believes in youth and women empowerment.
Secondus, who expressed great delight with the massive turn out of Ebonyi supporters to the rally, observed: “No one is left in doubt that Ebonyi is PDP and PDP is Ebonyi.”
Others who spoke, including the former Secretary to Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; South East National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Austin Umahi; Vice Presidential candidate, Peter Obi; and the PDP Chairman in Ebonyi State, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, stressed that only Abubakar can guarantee the liberation of Nigeria from its current social and economic quagmire, guarantee security and better life to Nigerians at all levels.
Describing Abubakar and Obi as political strategists who have demonstrated leadership ingenuity in several ways, Anyim assured that only the duo can get Nigeria working again
The event, which was attended by unprecedented crowd of supporters, also witnessed the shutting down of offices, markets and other such public places in honour of the presidential candidate and his entourage, which included the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.