Atiku in Maiduguri, promises to reactivate exploration of oil, gas in Chad Basin

• …To restore peace in Borno, other parts of Nigeria

• …As Okowa assures of a new Nigeria under PDP

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has promised to work assiduously towards the restoration of peace in Borno State and other parts of the country if elected as the next President of the country next year.

Alhaji Abubakar also pledged to reactivate the exploration of oil and gas in the Chad Basin.

The presidential candidate made the promises while addressing members and supporters of the PDP during presidential campaign rally of the party held yesterday in Maiduguri, the state capital.

The former Vice President further pledged to ensure the revitalisation of the Chad Basin Development Authority.

Alhaji Abubakar, who had earlier visited the Shehu of Borno Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba Al Amin El-Kanemi, before coming to the venue of the PDP presidential campaign rally, maintained that the restoration of peace and orderliness in all parts of the country is a task that must be achieved by his government, if given the mandate at the 2023 general election.

Addressing the mammoth crowd of supporters at the Ramat Square, Maiduguri, the PDP presidential candidate said, “Before we arrived here, we went to the palace of Shehu of Borno and he made the following requests. First, that we restore peace and orderliness in Borno State and throughout the country.

“Secondly, he requested us to make sure that we reactivate Chad Basin Development Authority so that our farmers can go back to farm, so that we can produce food for our people so that we can also reduce unemployment and we promise him on that.

“He requested that we should make sure the local governments are supplied with power or electricity which we promised, we will do.

“Again, he requested that we should reactivate the exploration of oil and gas in the Chad Basin, which we promise we are going to do by the grace of God.

“We thank you very much for this reception, for this support. We look forward to the day you will vote for PDP,. Enough of hunger, enough of insecurity, enough of unemployment, enough of suffering, enough of too much taxation.

“We will make sure that you are exempted from exorbitant taxation”, he said.

Speaking at the rally, the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP and Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa assured that Atiku would turn things around in the country and work towards building a new Nigeria.

Okowa said, “We want to show to them that Nigerians are wiser, we cannot afford to give, anymore, one day after the eight years of APC because they have taken us into a very deep hole. But Atiku Abubakar will bring us out and show us a new light.

“He (Atiku) will ensure that you don’t go to bed hungry, that there is food in the family.

“Our women will be able to provide for their children and men will be able to provide for their children and our children can go to school and will have jobs.

“That is the Nigeria we are looking forward to, that is the Nigeria that Atiku Abubakar is going to provide for us.

“It is time for new Nigerian and that new Nigeria we are talking about, it is only Atiku that can provide it”, he said.