The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has asked Osun state residents to vote for him on account of his marriage to “one of their daughters”.
He also promised to tackle insecurity, hunger, economic deprivation, and disunity, among other issues.
Atiku’s first wife, Titi Abubakar, is an indigene of Ilesa in Osun state.
Speaking during the party’s presidential campaign rally at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo on Wednesday, the former Vice President knocked the ruling All Progressives Congress over the “current challenges of insecurity, disunity, economic deprivation, lack of jobs for our young men and women”.
He said, “I have only come to thank you for what you have done; you are a wonderful people for returning PDP to power in the last state elections. I believe by returning PDP to power you will strengthen this authority by voting PDP in the next general elections because a federal government controlled by PDP and a state government controlled by PDP in Osun State is for the greater good of Osun people.
“And our only objective is to make sure that the current challenges of insecurity, disunity, economic deprivation, lack of jobs for our young men and women and the future of this country through restructuring can be achieved and this I promise you, I am going to start doing them from day one.
“It means empowering Osun State with more resources and authority with what is needed to be done. To provide the infrastructure needed for development, invest in education and healthcare in Osun State and bring about industrialization for the economic benefit of the people of Osun State.
“My brothers and sisters of Osun State, I have come to say a very thank you and I have urged you, I appeal to you, I plead with you to come out in greater numbers than you did in the last state election and vote for the PDP in the next general election.
“That is the only way that you can secure your future and the future of your children, we promise you we will not fail you we are not like APC because we have done it before. We have got the experience. We have got the people who have the capacity to bring about changes; we are not new as far as governance is concerned in Nigeria.
“So, my fellow brothers and sister, my in-laws, are you going to vote for your in-law or not? God bless you all.”
Speaking also, Titi Abubakar said terrorism, kidnapping would stop if her husband is voted into office.
“Nigeria, we are more divided than we were before. Atiku wants to bring unity, to bring this country together,” she said.
“So Atiku is going to bring back that lost glory. Atiku is going to unify us, he is a unifier. Atiku has come to rescue Nigeria. Atiku has come to restructure Nigeria. Atiku has come to give our children good education. There will be no Boko Haram, there will be no kidnapping, there will be no abduction.