Afenifere, NEF, PANDEF Endorse Atiku …‘My Endorsement, Hope For Nigeria’ …Atiku’ll Beat Buhari 60-45 In Katsina -Galadima

Regional socio-cultural organisations, including Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Northern Elders Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum and the Middle Belt Forum have endorsed the candidature of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The groups, which met at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, yesterday, said Atiku possessed the intelligence, capability and knowledge to lead the nation.
Leaders of the associations such as Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, Malam Ango Abdullahi, Chief Edwin Clark and Dr. Bitrus Pogu, therefore, asked Nigerians to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential flagbearer on February 16.
Meanwhile, the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, pledged to ensure autonomy for local governments, if elected in the February 16 presidential election.
Abubakar made the pledge in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, during his presidential campaign rally.
“If elected on February 16, I will make sure the local governments in our country have autonomy and joint accounts between states and local governments will be scrapped.
“I will not allow any governor to take a penny from local governments’ coffers as the money is meant for LGAs and their development,” he said.
He also promised to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths and empower women to start up businesses in order to make the economy more stronger.
“I will also make sure that poverty is chased away and hunger decimated in the country.
“When we do this we are, at the same time strengthening the security of our country and fighting insecurity,” Atiku said.
The Director General, PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Sen. Bukola Saraki, accused the ruling APC government of failing to deliver on its promises to Nigerians.
“They promised security, employment, and to fight poverty but we still have no security, unemployment is on the increase and hunger is at its highest ebb,” Saraki claimed.
Earlier, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said that the party was committed to preserving the unity of Nigeria.
Secondus urged the people of Kebbi to vote massively for PDP candidates at all levels of the elections.
He also advised the electorates to take measures to protect their vote and resist any form of malpractice.
He called on the relevant agencies to put necessary strategies in place to ensure that the elections are free and fair.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Haruna Saidu, said the mammoth crowd witnessed at the rally was an indication that the PDP would take over the state.
“We have no doubt that with what we have witnessed today, come February16 and March 2, we will sweep all the polls,” he said.
Saidu commended the party followers for coming out en masse to welcome the PDP presidential candidate and his campaign team.
Meanwhile, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to his adoption by regional leaders and socio-cultural groups from the six regional zones of the country saying such adoption is an indication that there is hope for the nation.
Atiku, who was a former Vice President, said in a statement which he personally signed that he was moved to tears when he heard about the news of his adoption.
The groups are Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Northern Elders Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum and Middle Belt Forum.
The groups, after their meeting in Abuja on Sunday, asked Nigerians to vote for Atiku instead of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari.
Atiku described his adoption as “ a loud statement that there is hope for our country as we go to the polls in a few days.”
He said, “I am moved to tears that in the midst of deep divisions and deliberate use of instrumentalities of state to set our people against themselves in the last three and a half years, responsible and respected leaders across Nigeria have agreed to come together for the purpose of endorsing my candidature for the February 16th, 2019 Presidential elections.
“The endorsement by the leading lights of our nationalities – Afenifere, OhanaezeNdigbo, Northern Elders Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum and Middle Belt Forum is a loud statement that there is hope for our country as we go to the polls in a few days.
“Today we put aside all our prejudices to elect a President with religion and ethnicity playing no role in our elections.
“I profusely thank our Leaders across the country who have created this wonderful moment for
us to come to the table of brotherhood.
“Once again, and in the words of our old National Anthem, we can proudly sing: ‘Though tribes and tongues may differ, in brotherhood we stand’.
“This has buoyed me to lead a Pan-Nigerian team that will give practical interpretation to what has been done by the time I take leadership of our country, by the grace of Allah, on May 29, 2019.
“Many countries of the world have been led into disintegration by strongmen (one in each country) and we have seen how individuals who understand the management of diversities have rallied their people for unity.
In another development, Buba Galadima, a spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign organisation, has said that the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, AtikuAbubakar will beat President Buhari with a margin of 60 to 45 percent in the north.
Galadima also said that Atiku will didvide the votes 50 to 50 with Buhari even in Buhari’s home state, Katsina.
Galadima made the statement while appearing on Channels TV programme, Politics Today,yesterday.
According to him, “Atiku will defeat Buhari 60 to 45 on the minimum. The only place it would be 50-50 is Katsina.
“In the south west, i want to say with certainty, the Yoruba people respect their leaders, they will not vote from sentiments. He said President Buhari refused to sign the electoral act because he is afraid of defeat.