Tinubu, Atiku, Obi intensify campaign for Northern votes

From left: Obi, Tinubu and Atiku.

THE presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ahmed Tinubu, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party, Peter Obi, took their campaign to Katsina, Benue and Kwara states respectively in last minutes effort to secure the votes of residents of the states.

Buhari urges Katsina monarch to mobilize for Tinubu

Leading the Tinubu/Shettima campaign in Katsina state, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday pledged full support for Senator Ahmed Tinubu and called on the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman and Emirate Council to mobilise for the political leader.

President Buhari in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, was quoted as saying, "We are here to present our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu," the President said during a courtesy call in the palace.

"Asiwaju has been chosen by our party, and we are fully in support of his candidature, and we will work for his victory at the polls."

The President used the occasion of the visit to personally condole the leaders and citizens of the state following the recent terrorist attack on vigilantes in Bakori Local Government area of the state, in which many lives were lost. 

Governor Masari of Katsina state presented the APC presidential candidate to the Emirate, noting that his record of service in Lagos State, and the nation remains commendable. 

Asiwaju Tinubu in his remarks said the peace and stability of the nation remains a collective responsibility. 

"Thank you for the prayers and support. You promised to be behind the President like a rock of gibraltar and you have done so. The President brought me here, and he has brought me home.

"I can say welcome home, because I am at home here," he stated.“

Collect PDP, APC’s money, vote for me — Obi tells Kwara residents

In Kwara State, Peter Obi told residents to collect any monetary inducement offered to them by the  PDP, and APC, but vote the Labour Party in the coming election.

He said under the joint leadership with Ahmed Datti new Nigeria is possible, as corruption would be tackled to their roots such that snakes,and goats would not be able to swallow funds under their watch.

Obi also threw jibes at PDP and APC presidential candidates saying that in the last sixteen years what the two parties have given Nigerians are insecurity and dwindled economy. 

He therefore urged the electorate to collect whatever money or any inducement from other Presidential candidates because it’s their collective wealth, and vote for him for a better and a prosperous Nigeria. 

He said: "We have the magic wand to turn Nigeria around. We need leadership to secure and unite Nigeria, that is our number one promise. A new Nigeria is possible under the Labour Party. We don't want a Nigeria where snakes and goats swallow money.

"This year's election, they will come to you with religion, tribe and money, but tell them you are hungry. Collect the money they will give to you because it is your money and vote for us.”

I'll end herders’ crisis in Benue if elected President — Atiku  

In Benue state,  Atiku Abubakar promised to put an end to herdsmen crisis in the state if elected President of the country in the coming general elections.

He also promised to tackle the general insecurity in the state to ensure that Benue farmers who fled their farms and homes return back to their ancestral land.

Addressing the crowd that turned out at the Ape Aku Stadium, yesterday in Makurdi for the PDP presidential rally, Atiku Abubakar assured to re-enact the prosperous years of the PDP if elected the President of the country in the coming election.

While commiserating with families who lost loved ones in the last seven to eight years to the armed herders' crisis in the state, the presidential candidate said, "as the 'Zege Mule Tiv' the umbrella of the Tiv people all over the world, I promise you, if you elect me as your president, just like I did in 2001, when I came to Benue and made the Fulanis to sign a peace accord with their brother Tivs, I will come to make sure peace returns to Benue State.

"Benue is the food basket of this country and today our farmers cannot go to the farms because of insecurity, I will make sure security returns to the state."

While promising to tackle unemployment among the youths of the country by empowering them through a $10 billion intervention fund, he also promised to tackle the issue of interconnectivity of Benue State to other states of the federation. He said "the infrastructural deficiencies you are facing in this state in terms of interconnectivity with other states will become a thing of the past because we will provide funding for both roads and railways to make sure our transportation system is once again working." 

Culled from Vanguard