President Muhammadu Buhari and his 2019 presidential Campaign council (Next Level) were received in Anambra on Thursday by a massive crowd of party supporters, who thronged the Holy Trinity Cathedral Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra for the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress APC, campaign in the state.
Tribune Online reports that the President and his entourage had first paid a courtesy visit to the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Afred Achebe, where he was highly welcome by the Traditional Ruler and his Cabinet, after he headed to the first Executive President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe compound where he finally commissions the long awaited Mausoleum before moving to the holy Trinity church Field for the rally.
Igwe Sunday Okafor, who speak on behalf of Igwe Achebe after praying for his success, charge him to use his position to end the clashes between Fulani/farmers, boko haram crisis and to address the agitation of marginalization been champion by other regions of the country, appointment of the Igbo in Federal security council, appointment of Igbo as the new Inspector General of Police.
The president, who spoke during the flag-off of the his presidential campaign, said the commission of the mausoleum shows Anambra was his home and remained one of his strongholds.
“I have nothing to say than to remind you of the situation we met this country and the promises we made to you. “So the best we can do for our country is to return the APC to power.“The biggest gift we can give to our country is security sufficiency and economic prosperity,” he said.
The president said that the APC administration had so far addressed the security situation in the country, regional development and equal ministerial appointment
He said in the area of the economy, the country was recovering and on the track of development. “The larger population of the country are youths between the ages of 35 and below, Nigeria has lots of work to do, to get you employment and sufficiency.”
“We have stopped spending our foreign reserve to import rice; there is sufficiency in rice and we now produce it locally, including the Anambra rice.
Mr Buhari said the mandate given to him by Nigerians required their support, especially for peace and economic development of the country.
He assured that his administration would use all the recovered looted funds for the well being of citizens.
He also promised that his administration, if re-elected in the 2019 general elections, would continue to make life easier for all Nigerians.
He said he has reached an agreement with the militants in the Niger Delta region on how to protect and ensure safety of natural resources.
The president called on the people of Anambra State to vote for the APC candidates in the 2019 general elections to enable the party to complete all ongoing development projects across the country, particular the south east region.
He assured the electorate that the APC administration would not betray Nigerians and would not allow anyone to betray Nigerians.
The National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, said that the fundamental issues of the campaign were the pronouncements by the PDP that they are ready to change from their old ways of fraudulent administration which are all lies.
He said the people should resist that move by not voting for them. Mr. Oshiomhole declared that “with what I have seen here today in this light of the Nation State, the APC has already won the general elections.
“I am therefore calling on you to ensure that you vote for all of the candidates of the APC from top to down during the general elections.”
Earlier, the DG Campaign of the APC, Rotimi Amaechi, urged party supporters to vote the party all through to ensure a smooth running of the APC administration.
Mr Oshiomhole said Onitsha was home to the APC family and himself and the residents would ensure the president was victorious in his election.
“Four years ago, we promised Nigerians real change in what we do and how we do it. Nigerians sent a clear message in the last election and our platform offered a new ambitious plan for a secure, prosperous and
corruption-free country. “We have worked hard to fulfil our promises and while the road may have been difficult, over the last three and half years, we have laid the foundations for a strong, stable and prosperous country for the majority of our people, he added.
The party Senatorial candidate for Anambra south senatorial district, Barrister Sylvester Okonkwo, in speech, noted that Buhari’s achievements was not only completing and commissioning of Zik’s mausoleum, but working on abandoned federal projects in the South-East and training and empowering of more youth in across the country.
Okonkwo, said the president had shown enough love to Igbo, predicting that he (Buhari) would rake in enough votes in the state and South-East in general during the 2019 election. He added that the people would surely reciprocate his good gestures.
The state acting chairman on his welcome speech, Chief Basil Ejidike, said today, the promise of Mr. President has come to pass (commissioning of Unik Mausoleum), the 2nd Niger Bridge so abandoned like Zik’s mausoleum is in progress as deadline for its completion has been announced by the Buhari administration and 33 billion mobilisation for the job paid.”
The president is expected to leave for Enugu for another campaign rally and official inauguration CBN centre of excellence at the UNN.
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