Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Thursday said that a sum of $10 billion has been set aside in his programme to tackle youth unemployment in the country if elected president.
Speaking at the flag off of the PDP North Central campaign rally in Ilorin, Alhaji Atiku said that the money would be used to establish Nigerian youth in micro, small and medium enterprises to empower them and make them gainfully employed for a decent living.
“I want to assure you that the youth unemployment which is all over the country is not peculiar to Kwara state or the North Central zone. Most of you here are under the age of 30 and most of you here have no jobs or businesses. We will make sure that in our programme, I’ve promised that I’ll set aside $10billion to make sure that youth unemployment are catered for in micro, small and medium enterprises to empower you and to make sure that you are gainfully employed so that you have a decent living.
“We’re not here to tell you lies. We’re your parents. We want you to be like what we are. We will bale you out. We will bring you up. We will make sure you obtain your objectives, whatever your lofty ambition. That’s why we are here. Don’t vote for APC again. Vote for all candidates of the PDP come 2023.
“We also promise to restore security all over the country. When they came, they said they would tackle insecurity in six months. But what do we see? We now see insecurity all over the country. It’s a total failure by the APC in all its ramifications,” he said.
The PDP presidential candidate, who promised to return Kwara state to mainstream of Nigerian politics, if elected as president in 2023, appealed to the people to elect all PDP candidates for the 2023 general elections.
“I know Kwara state for a very long time. Kwara is in the middle of the country; connecting the North, South. We’ve seen the road infrastructure had been allowed to deteriorate. It was PDP that built the roads. And they’ve come and didn’t maintain the roads and the roads are very bad and un-motorable today.
“We promise that if you elect PDP at both the state and national levels, we will ensure that the roads are connected to both sides of the country.
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“Four years ago, they came here to deceive you and told you lies. You’ve seen all the lies they told. Have they performed better than PDP? Are you going to vote for them again? Now, PDP has come to bring prosperity to you all,” he said.
The PDP presidential candidate, who said that the party on Wednesday inaugurated council of women for PDP, added that it was the first in the history of the PDP; the oldest party in the country.
Alhaji Atiku commended the people for the turnout and thanked them for the support and warm reception.
Also speaking, the national chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, said that the PDP has come to bring country back to new life and rebuild the country. He urged the people to vote PDP’s Atiku Abubakar and all other candidates of the party.
“Nigerians are tired of hunger, insecurity and bad governance,” he said.
Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, told the people not to be deceived again by the APC, advising that they should vote for PDP.
“We said that their coming is for hunger. See now, we told you. We’ve learnt our lessons. It’s Atiku that can help take Nigeria in right direction and unite Nigeria. He’s a man with experience. I never deceived you. This is time for Nigeria to kick out incompetent government. We in PDP did landmarks project in the state. What have they done? Go all out to vote PDP Atiku Abubakar and all other candidates of the party. Atiku loves Kwara, and it didn’t start today”.
In his speech, the PDP governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections, Shuaib Yaman Abdulahi, said that the state had never had it so bad since political power fell to APC government.
He said that the present APC administration inherited N59 billion in 16 year in 2019, adding that the debt had increased to N114billion in three and half years
Some of the PDP chieftains at the event included Vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Okowa, the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, Dino melaye, former Osun state governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Senate Presidents, Bukola Saraki, Adolfus Wabara, Governors Emmanuel Udom, Godwin Obaseki, among many others.
The venue of the PDP North Central campaign flag off, the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin, erupted in exctasy at about 1:50 pm as the motorcade conveying the PDP chieftains entered the arena with shouts of Atiku!, Saraki!, Oloye!, just as they waved the crowd of PDP supporters.
The event also saw handing over of the party’s flags to the state governorship candidate, Alhaji Shuaib Yaman Abdulahi and his deputy.
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