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Atiku Abubakar of PDP
My dear compatriots , let me start by saying
that contesting in the primaries for the
presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic
Party , ( PDP ) was an experience of a lifetime
for me and I must add this : I am grateful to
Almighty God for making me a Nigerian !
Nigeria is real, Nigeria is one and Nigeria is
united !
To Tede and Idere in Oyo State , Igumale and
Lessel in Benue or Atiku Abubakar ’ s
hometown of Jada in Adamawa State , Isan
and Iyin in Ekiti, Igan – Okoto and Ofada in
Ogun , Dass in Bauchi, Wurno in Sokoto , Itu
and Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom , Abonema in
Rivers , Ekinrin- Adde and Iyamoye in Kogi
State , Fugar in Edo State and to all the small
towns in Nigeria , the statement our party
made from our convention is that the people
of Nigeria are not forgotten ; that Nigeria is
not just Abuja or Port Harcourt, not just Lagos
or Calabar, not just Maiduguri , Damaturu , Jos
or Lokoja; that our country is much more than
Ibadan , Abeokuta , Uyo, Kaduna, Sokoto ,
Ilorin , Kano , Yola , Benin , Jalingo , Owerri,
Enugu , Umuahia , Abalaliki or any such big
towns and capital cities .
Nigeria is an aggregation of all towns and
villages , cities and hamlets . Nigeria
encompasses us all , however remote our
places of origin may be .
On my part , serving my community , my state
and the great people of Nigeria has been a joy
and a privilege for which I have been grateful
every single day of my life.
Right from my days as a student leader , down
through my professional life both in the
private sector and in public service , I have
been shaped by experiences that prepared me
for service to the people.
I have heeded all calls with humility and with
every sense of responsibility.
I have always devoted my entire being to the
work at hand and my entire life to the service
of Nigeria .
That was the spirit that informed my
participation in the presidential ticket
exercise .
As a party , the PDP was in power for years .
We made our share of mistakes . But we were
succeeded , it has turned out , by a band with
no standards , a group of accusers without
ideas.
They are adept at only one change : a change
of the subject once service to the people is in
discussion .
With the emergence of former Vice President
Atiku Abubakar as our party ’ s flagbearer , the
real change for the better is now around the
corner and the future we have always dreamt
of is rapidly emerging .
My humble plea is that, the same unity ,
commitment and sense of purpose that saw us
through to his victory at the convention
should be intensified to carry our great party
to glorious victory in next year ’ s elections .
We are not in this simply for the desire to
clinch power for its sake ; neither is it for
intimidation of opponents or suppression of
political adversaries . We are in this for the
progress and prosperity of Nigeria .
Our country faces many challenges that test
the quality of its leadership . But only in
challenges does a good leadership find
opportunities .
That is the test the current leadership has
failed . And that is the test Turaki Atiku will
not fail .
For years , the Nigerian people have been
hopeless , hungry and thirsty.
They are hungry and thirsty not only for food
and water , but also for education, for better
housing , for power , for security, and for an
enabling environment to productively realize
their possibilities .
PDP is returning to assuage the people ’ s thirst .
We are here to put an end to the peoples’
hunger .
The dryness of a season provides the
opportunity to make a balm and the process
of making the balm has just begun with
Atiku ’ s nomination !
The people of Nigeria will rule.
The PDP , with Atiku at the helm, will lead .
APC has proven incapable of running Nigeria .
Nigerians have been poorly served by a
leadership that has not only created wedge
between compatriots , broken their spirit of
brotherhood, the people have been subjected
to the worst kind of insensitivity and
psychological trauma by those in whom they
entrusted their sovereignty .
The result is that our people have never been
as divided as they are today along the lines of
tribal , religious , political and other primordial
divisions .
The end has come to all that !
Grinding poverty must come to a halt soon !
Injustice in whatever form must come to its
end !
Economic mismanagement must come to its
end !
The end has come to empty promises and
brazen impunity!
The Nigerian people will rule !
I believe that the hallmark of quality
leadership is in its ability to surmount
challenges and solve problems , rather than
engaging in blame game and reveling in the
grandiloquence of empty rhetoric or the
promise of change that is meaningless even to
its protagonist .
The hallmark of good leadership is in concrete
action on behalf of the people and not in a
body language that says nothing other than
confounding the masses .
Enough is enough !
Enough of weakness arrogantly dressed up as
introspection !
Enough of cluelessness sold as thoughtfulness !
Enough of mediocrity paraded as integrity !
What is beneath Nigeria is beneath Nigeria !
The current leadership is weak , de- energized,
incompetent and far beneath Nigeria . It is
time to move forward and in the right
direction !
The end must be put to the phenomenon of
showmanship as statesmanship , deception of
the masses as fight against corruption and
incompetence compounded with ignorance as
old- age wisdom .
Nigeria ’ s problems are many and real . Such
can be solved only by able , prepared hands,
critical thinkers and people with strong
character .
Let all hands be on the plough to make
Nigeria a super power it ought to be.
We must remain committed to the principle of
inclusive and integral development .
I trust that Atiku Abubakar and the PDP will
put in place a governance structure that will
foster the spirit of co- operation , consensus
and unity in a nation of diverse ethnic groups ,
cultures and religions like ours . He will turn
our diversity into our abiding core strength.
This is not only desirable , it is required to
establish , nurture and sustain a strong and
effective democratic government .
The PDP ’ s symbol was not lightly picked and
should never be viewed lightly . Ours is an
umbrella under which peoples from all walks
of life, irrespective of ethnic affiliation ,
economic status , educational background ,
religious leaning , age or sex , can take refuge
and make sense of existence .
Nigeria is a blessed country . Our abundant
resources must , however , be properly
harnessed by a visionary leadership to make
Nigeria a great and prosperous nation .
Atiku has what it takes to provide that
leadership .
Unlike the present leadership , he will leverage
on his democratic governance experience to
work harmoniously with the other organs of
government to effectively harness the unique
skills and abilities , the personal qualities and
motivations of all Nigerians to unleash their
creative and productive energies to make this
country great.
A leader who wants to achieve results must be
visionary, demonstrate a high degree of
rational judgement and maintain a high sense
of responsibility to the people .
Like the good shepherd , he must be
trustworthy , lead by example and forsake all
other interests for the common good .
With Atiku Abubakar , the ship of the Nigerian
state is sure to anchor at the harbour of peace ,
progress , unity and prosperity.
The APC has been a night we have only
endured so far , a lie we have lived for so
long . The jinx of poor leadership over Nigeria
must now be broken .
As the prospect of a new daylight beckons, we
must all go back and begin the work of re-
building Nigeria .
Nigeria , which has been the foot soldier in the
battle for the liberation of Africa and its
peoples, the foremost combatant in keeping
the continent’ s peace , must cease to be a sad
footnote to its story of progress .
I am convinced that with Nigerians ’ support
and patriotism , Atiku will be the president
who makes Nigeria the strong leg on which
Africa, indeed the Black race stands .
Under his leadership and under the canopy of
the PDP , we shall all together rebuild the
crumbling Nigerian house.
