By Bologi M. Maikudi
As the open campaign for the 2019 Presidential election kicks-off officially, a group of young Nigerian politicians under the 2019 Campaign Platform called Atiku for President (AFP) has called on voters not to be distracted by the diversionary tactics and vicious propaganda that will be unleashed on the media space by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to deflect attention from its screaming incompetence and unprecedented failure.
The AFP, in a statement issued on Saturday by its Director-General, Emmanuel Uchele Oguche, called on Nigerians to insist on the real issues that should define the open campaign which include poverty, rising unemployment, corruption in high places, insecurity etc, all of which the group said were either caused or worsened by the “conspiratorial indolence and cluelessness of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.”
The group’s statement read in part: “The APC will try to divert attention from the fact that over 10 million jobs have been lost under its watch; that Nigeria now has the singular dishonor of being the world’s headquarters of extreme poverty; that over two thousand Nigerians have been massacred either by terrorists/bandits which the government has failed to apprehend or by soldiers who open fire on unarmed protesters including Shiite members; that Nigeria is now on the edge having been sharply divided along its fault lines; that the Presidency and ruling party are neck-deep in humongous corruption like it happened in NEMA, NNPC, NBC, Ganduje-gate, Oshiomhole bribery scandal etc; that the Nigerian President is the world number one medical tourist who has not lifted a finger to fix the ailing health sector back home.
“For lack of any achievement to campaign with, the failed APC will try to pretend about the above realities and turn attention to the dynamic duo of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi and raise very inane and baseless accusations against them. We are hereby calling on Nigerians not to reinforce failure but embrace the Atiku/Obi ticket which represents hope and offers the restructuring of the federation to foster unity, fiscal federalism, state police, economic diversification etc.
“Atiku is that Presidential candidate who has the capacity (mental, physical and intellectual), clarity of mind, open mind, experience and large heart to run a people-friendly, all-inclusive government that will Get Nigeria Working Again.”
While challenging APC supporters to mention any business their candidate has run successfully or any one he has employed in his private capacity, the group argued that: “The PDP candidate, Atiku, has a history of creating wealth and employing thousands of people even in his private capacity; he is a detribalized Nigerian who understands the diverse and complex nature of the nation, a sound mind who also has eagle eyes for talents and who will not waste time to appoint credible world-class professionals who will work with him to reposition the economy. Based on his recent utterances and conduct, he has shown that Nigerian youths will be the bedrock of his administration come 2019.”
“Our core mandate is to mobilize 2 million Nigerian youths with Permanent Voters’ Cards who also have the capacity to mobilize at least one friend or relative with PVCs to vote for Atiku in the 2019 Presidential election. The response of our compatriots so far has been very encouraging since we started this journey in December 2017 and everywhere we go people cannot wait to jump on the Atiku train because he is the last hope of the masses who have been at the receiving end of the ineptitude, arrogance and hypocrisy of the present administration,” the statement concluded.
