Atiku calls for investigation into allegations President Buhari’s family members co-own Etisalat Nigeria, Keystone Bank

The Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has called on the appropriate authorities to urgently institute a probe to unravel the hidden faces behind the new ownership structure of multi billion naira telecoms giant, Etisalat Nigeria as well as Keystone Bank.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday , Special Assistant to Atiku on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu said such a probe was necessary in view of reports that members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s family now own substantial share in Etisalat Nigeria which has an estimated $2billion (about N727billion at 360 per dollar) of its estimated $20billion global net worth.

Atiku also expressed shock at reports from unimpeachable sources that the first family now plays big in the nation’s financial sector after acquiring mouthwatering shares in Keystone Bank with total assets of $1.916 billion (equivalent to N307.5billion) as well as purchasing about ₦3 billion worth of shares in the new Pakistani Islamic Bank.

“I know that last week was turbulent for President Buhari and I apologize for adding to his woes, but as he is insistent on the myth that he is spotless and anti-corrupt, If this is found to be true, this scandal would break every rule of corporate and public governance, since this will be the first time members of the first family will be openly involved in a once-in-a-lifetime deal that would make them all richer beyond their wildest dreams,” the statement said.

The accusation is coming amidst reported allegations in the media that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government plans to use billions of Naira from the Anchor Borrowers Programme allocated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for farmers, using imaginary donations from 12 million farmers as a façade.

But the presidential candidate of the PDP advised President Buhari to shun the use of state resources and machinery for the upcoming 2019 presidential poll.

Specifically, Atiku said no farmer contributed any N1.7billion for Buhari’s re-election campaign, warning that APC’s decision to use monies meant for farmers to run his campaign is not tidy at all.

“The other day, a man who scored 15,424,921 votes to win the 2015 general election was reported to have been nominated by 14 million APC members at the Presidential primaries for 2019. Now, over 12 million farmers have donated to his campaign. Are they indirectly spewing out outrageous figures of people they intend to claim voted for them in the coming elections? Could that be why the President was flashing an occult double four hand signal that has gone viral? What did the hand signal mean? Does it mean that the President has jettisoned the idea of a free and fair election and telling Nigerians that no matter how they vote, he will return for a second term of four years? In any case , if the farmers who just took a loan through the borrowers anchor programme and have not liquidated the facility can donate this huge sum or any sum for that matter, it means the ‘Association of widows and children of all those slain by Boko Haram and herdsmen will donate N5billion to the Buhari campaign. In fact, the 23.1 million youth who lost their jobs between 2016 till date will donate about N12billion to the Buhari campaign.”

“Assuming but not even conceding that such a huge sum of money was donated to President Buhari by Nigerian farmers as his handlers would want Nigerians to believe, wouldn’t such donation be in contravention of Section 91 (9)of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which says no individual or other entity shall donate more than N1m to an aspirant or a candidate,” Atiku said.

Section 91 (2) of the Electoral Act further states that a presidential candidate can spend a maximum of N1billion.

The law also recommends a fine of N1m or a prison term of 12months or both for any candidate that breaches the provisions of the Act.

‘We have no stand on whether or not President Buhari should run for office. That is his prerogative and that of his party. But we believe it is improper for public office holders to forcefully loot public funds, on behalf of a sitting president seeking a second term in office.

‘’What this means is that there is a ‘war chest’ which apparently is from the national coffers,’’ Atiku said.

He said if President Buhari wants to run for office next year, he should take only from monies sourced from donations by his campaign groups that are independent of government.

‘’Anything short of that – as is currently the case with the use of funds from the CBN meant for farmers will mean there will be no level playing field for all the candidates billed to contest for the presidency during next year’s presidential elections,’’ Atiku said.

Mr. Phrank Shaibu
SA on Public Communication to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
PDP Presidential Candidate.

You’re The Problem, Not The System: Atiku Tackles Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari telling him not to blame Nigeria’s system for his failure but to own up to his responsibilities.

Atiku said this on Wednesday in response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement on his fight against corruption when he reacted to critics referring to him as ‘Baba Go Slow’ and said he is not slow but rather; it is Nigeria’s system that is slow.

He said further that Buhari admitting that his administration is slow shows failure of his administration in tackling corruption.

“My attention has been drawn to a statement by President Muhammadu Buhari on the occasion of a Christmas homage paid on him by members of the Federal Capital Territory Community in which he blamed his inability to fight corruption on the Nigerian system.

“According to the President, his administration is slow in fighting corruption because the system is slow.

“My immediate response to this is to commend President Buhari for admitting that he has failed in fighting corruption. The President has just corroborated Transparency International, whose latest Corruption Perception Index shows that Nigeria is more corrupt today than it was under the previous administration, having moved 12 places backwards in the CPI, from 136 in 2014 to 148 this year.

“But my point of departure from the President is in blaming his failure on the system. I disagree. The system has challenges, yes, but where there is political will, the system can make progress,” he said.

The former Vice-President explained further that during his administration, corruption was speedily handled and convictions were made.

According to Atiku, no personality was spared as dignitaries including an Inspector General of Police were convicted.

“I was Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 and we used that same system to speedily convict no less a personality than an Inspector General of Police, and several others including cabinet ministers and other high officials.

“Mr. President, the problem with your anti-corruption war is not the system. You are the problem!

“The system allows you to arrest, try and convict your former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who was fingered in a major corruption case, but you chose to let him go Scot free and you demonstrated your tolerance for his corruption by giving him a prominent role in your re-election campaign and recently welcoming him to the Presidential Villa with open arms.

“The system allowed you to arrest, try and convict Abdulrasheed Maina, the biggest ever alleged thief in our civil service history, who is suspected of looting the pensions of millions of aged Nigerians. Yet you chose not to go that route, preferring instead to recall him, reinstate and double promote him while giving him armed guards to move about.

“The system allows you to probe the $25 billion NNPC contracts awarded without due process, but you chose to bury the matter under the carpet, hoping the Nigerian people will forget about that grand scale alleged looting exposed by a leaked memo from a member of your cabinet.

“Finally, nothing in the system stops you from telling Nigerians who owns the billions found in an Ikoyi apartment.

“Based on the above statement of facts, I will not allow you to make Nigeria the scapegoat for your failure. Your failure is personal, and not national,” Atiku said.

Atiku added that the system did not stop the EFCC from charging the opposition Governor of Akwa-Ibom, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, as a co-accused in the case involving the NBA Chairman, Mr Paul Usoro (SAN). He compared this with the treatment of Governor Umar Ganduje of the ruling All Progressive Congress APC bribery scandal.

“Unfortunate as your admitted failure in the war on corruption is, it is your economic policy that is the greater failure. Your lack of ideas and your politicization of the corruption war have made your administration fight legitimate businesses and the opposition.

“I might add that it is actions such as this that have led to an unprecedented capital flight which has caused joblessness and made Nigeria the world headquarters for extreme poverty under your watch.”

Atiku, Obi meets Manufacturers and Business Owners in Aba

His Excellency and the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate for the February 2019 general election Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Peter Obi, Wednesday met with manufacturers and business owners in Aba to discuss and brain storm on how to get Nigeria to work again.

Also present at the event was the Peoples Democratic Party’s chairman Prince Uche Secondus, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and other dignitaries.

Atiku Abubabkar who visited Aba yesterday for a Town Hall meeting with traders and businessmen, in his words stated categorically that “My town hall meeting in Aba with manufacturers/business owners reinforces my conviction that leadership is the next thing our country is waiting for to reclaim its greatness. We will get Nigeria working again when our manufacturers get the support they need to thrive”.

He went further to state that with huge and massive support from government to our SME’s, Nigeria will be better for it.

Pics #AtikuInGombe : Mammoth Crowd Grace Atiku and other Party Bigwigs in Gombe

His Excellency Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate for the February 2019 election was in Gombe today for the North East PDP Presidential Zonal Rally.

The event was greeted by mammoth crowd of supporters and party’s faithful who turned out in their thousands to get a feel of what is install for them in 2019.

Atiku Abubakar Pledges 40 Percent Appointment to Youths in FEC

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has pledged that under his presidency, 40 per cent of appointment into the federal executive council will be reserved for youths.

Addressing a conference of various groups at a town hall meeting in Lagos Monday, Abubakar specifically said the Ministry of Youth Development under his presidency will be headed by an individual less than 30 years.

Fielding questions at the forum, which afforded young people an opportunity to interact with the leading presidential candidate, Abubakar said he will keep faith with Nigerian youths because they are the future of the country. Nigeria’s estimated 180 million population is largely believed to comprise 60 percent youths.

Answering a question on how he will realise one of the cornerstones of his campaigns, which is anchored on creating jobs, he said, “It is the private sector that creates most jobs. Government gives incentives, for example, lower tariffs and taxes. This is how jobs will be created. That is why I got a first class Vice Presidential candidate.”

Giving an example of his love for youths, Abubakar stated, “I have many children, but only one of them works for government. Others are in my various companies. I believe in creating jobs for the youths. “

Probed by a youth on his plans to ensure that the much-advertised brilliance of his running mate, Dr. Peter Obi was enveloped a cabal or a kitchen cabinet that will not allow him perform. Abubakar explained that it was not hallmark of the PDP to hangout cabals. “As Vice President under President Olusegun Obasanjo, I enjoyed unfettered freedom which led to many of the achievements that was recorded by that government in telecommunications, privatization, due process and other economic policies that grew our GDP steadily by six per cent annually.

“Our government will not be run by a cabal. We will make qualified youths get jobs in places like the NNPC, Central Bank of Nigeria and other government agencies through adherence to due process. Government can’t give jobs to everybody. It is the private sector that creates much of the jobs through an enabling environment created by government.”

Other speakers at the forum were former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose who leads the Atiku Abubakar Campaigns in the South West, the PDP National Chairman, Mr. Uche Secondus, Lagos State governorship candidate of the party, Mr. Jimi Agbaje and Dr. Peter Obi.

Also at the event was a former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, deputy director general, PDP Presidential Campaign Organization.

Atiku asks Buhari to resign over alleged ‘economy in bad shape’ comment

The Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to vacate his post over his alleged confession on Friday that the nation’s economy is in bad shape.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described President Buhari’s confession that the “Nigerian economy has collapsed under his watch as not only a pathetic ploy to attract the sympathy of Nigerians with his false honesty but also, a disguise to get a soft landing from the people he has put under terrible suffering and hardship in the last three and half years.”

“The result, of course, is this late hour confession of failure on the eve of our general elections, in the hope that millions of Nigerians, whom he has condemned to poverty and hardship, will give him a clap for failing abysmally. I dare say that President Buhari has miscalculated badly on this matter because Nigerians are simply fed up with him.”

“The economy has collapsed under his watch and he has by his frank remarks admitted that he has no idea on how to fix it and that is why he summoned the governors to help him. This is really very sad because President Buhari has run out of time and what Nigerians need now is a leadership which has the political will, administrative experience and sound economic acumen to get Nigeria working again,” he stated.

Atiku, who continued on President Buhari’s “confession of the failed economy” said Buhari “has continued to exhibit his cluelessness, incapacity and ineptitude in handling the economy by once again invoking the tired mantra of blaming the past administration and 16 years of PDP rule for his own failure.”

Atiku who was reacting to the outcome of the meeting between the President and Governors of 36 states said “the honourable step to take is for the President to step down from his position.”

He said “the confession by the President that the economy had gone out of control” was a confirmation of the forecast by the British multinational bank, HSBC “which predicted that re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 could plunge Nigeria into deeper economic hardship.”

“Unless those in-charge of the APC and the party’s supporters are, as usual, suffering from some form of self-delusion, it just does not make any sense for them to say that the APC-led federal government had brought succour to the ordinary Nigerian when President Muhammadu Buhari himself has admitted to Governors of the 36 States of the federation that the economy has gone beyond his control,” The statement said.

“Or do we need a prophet to tell us that the president’s admission of the state of the nation’s economy is a vindication of our long held position and indeed the forecast by HSBC recently cited by the Nigerian media where the bank had said a second term for Buhari would greatly stunt the economy of the country?” he asked.

He called on the APC to apologise to all Nigerians “for bringing them nothing but suffering of unquantifiable proportion since 2015, and to make a solemn pledge not to have anything to do with governance, especially with the 2019 elections fast approaching.”

According to him, the hopes for better governance and improved standard of living that many had nursed with the assumption of office by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2015 has since given way to despair and hopelessness.

“The exchange rate of the Naira to the US dollar when the APC assumed office in 2015 was about 170 (official rate) to the dollar. Today, it is 360 to the dollar. Today, millions of Nigerians, most of them youths, are unemployed, forcing them to become professional beggars who wait with bated breath for FG’s monthly N5,000 handout and N10,000 Tradermoni aimed at bribing them to re-elect the party in the forthcoming elections,” the statement added.

“Power generation has actually dipped from 4,949 megawatts PDP left in 2015 to less than 3,500 megawatts even though Buhari’s handlers consistently claim that 7,000 megawatts is what is currently being generated. What more evidence do we need to know that the APC has been a curse rather than a blessing to our country.”

“It is amazing that, in this day and age when leaders of nations are expected to be creative and think outside the box, by applying new digital tools and embracing new thinking in addressing the emerging challenges to modern governance, our own President is still living in the Paleolithic age of blame game and buck passing as responsible for his failures. What this simply means is that President Buhari was not really prepared for governance and did not even understand the simplest intricacies of running a national economy as big as Nigeria.

“This is really tragic and it is obvious that President Buhari has come to the end of the road and has completely given up on the next steps to advance Nigeria, while those whom his dear wife openly declared misled his administration into this economic quagmire are still drumming up support for his next level of more hardship, suffering, unprovoked deaths as a result of mis-governance.”

He said “the only way out of the nation’s problems is for Nigerians to vote en-mass for Atiku Abubakar whose policy document focuses on job creation, ensuring security, growing businesses, developing power, and water infrastructure, agriculture and education and how Nigeria’s next president will empower women.”

“The next generation of Nigerians are looking up to a visionary and cosmopolitan leadership, headed by a solid and steady leader, that will free up the space, remove unnecessary ancient cum bureaucratic obstacles and launch Nigeria into the competitive global space instead of de-marketing the country in the eyes of the global community. President Buhari should wake up and smell the aroma of the coffee Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is brewing. He is tired and at his wits end and it is time for him to vacate active task of presidency and return to his much cherished sedentary, pastoral and rustic life style in his country home in Daura then leave the rigours and highly strategic art of governance to those who know how to govern and get the economy working again,” He concluded.

Atiku will grow our Economy - Yakubu Dogara

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has called on Nigerians to liberate themselves from the shackles of the present leadership which he said is characterized by failure to make things work by voting massively for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, who has a proven record of success in whatever endeavour he ventures into.

Speaking at the wedding reception of his nephew, Hassan Ishaya Hassan, and Mafeng in Abuja with the PDP presidential candidate in attendance, Dogara said facts and figures have revealed that the man is the right candidate that can uplift Nigeria from the present state of decay that it has been plunged into because of bad leadership, having consistently broken limits in his enterprises.

The Speaker said: “If you look at Wazirin Adamawa (Atiku) as a leader in this country, and if you were to make summation of the people he has grown across Nigeria, you will labour for days, for months without getting the right number the people.

“The secret is that whatever you put in his hands doesn't die. If you put education in his hands, it graduates to a university. One of the best universities in this country was founded by him.

“If you put money in his hands, it doesn't die. Those who are envious because of the fact that anything they hold in their hands die will always insinuate many things about him but hardly does anything you put in his hands die.

“So if we are smart in this country, we have so many things that are dying, and as smart as we are as Nigerians, we will look for the person in whose hands nothing dies to bring all those things into life. I can tell you that if you put the economy in his hands, forget about it, you will see what will happen. If you give him the meagre resources we are getting from oil, he will multiply them. Although this is not a venue for political campaign, I am telling us that we've got to be smart this time around.

“If you have a tooth problem, you do not go to a shoemaker, you go to a dentist. Nigeria has a lot of problems, and we have to go to that person who by training and wisdom has the required dexterity to fix it, and you will not find anyone better in the field than the Wazirin Adamawa.

“So if you take Nigeria, her economy and lack of jobs among others and put them  in the hands of people who will kill it, then you have yourself to blame. God has shown us a man who has done exceptionally well, a man who has grown so many people, a man who will grow Nigeria, grow our economy and take us out of poverty.”

While admonishing the couple, Atiku who drew from his over 40 years of experience in marriage, prayed that the Mr. and Mrs. Hassan Ishaya Hassan would have an enduring marriage, bear fruits and live to see their great children.

Atiku will defeat Buhari Squarely - Babangida Aliyu

The former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, on Sunday declared that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar will defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

Babangida stated that if the 2019 election was free and fair and security agents were not unleashed against Atiku and his supporters, the former Vice President would win the election.

The former governor made the declaration during an interactive session with reporters in Kaduna.

According to Babangida, “Believe me, not only in my state, I believe that if the elections are free and fair, if there is no rigging, if the security agencies are not used against our party, we will make it. We will win.

“Atiku will defeat Buhari squarely.”

On Buhari’s refusal to sign the Electoral Amendment Bill, Babangida said: “If the national assembly feels very strongly, they should be able to over-ride the veto.

“But if it will create problems for the moment, we can wait. I understand that some of the conditions the president gave was that the electoral act could start with the next election and not this particular one.

“But I think that we need to be careful under his watch, to make sure that we don’t have any problem with the 2019 elections.

“In 2015, we understand what happened and everybody rallied round, even though the difference in the votes was not much, given the population of voters in the country.

“But if the Electoral Act Amendment Bill is not signed by the president and not over ridden by the national assembly, then it means we will use the old law and we will have no basis for asking anybody whether card reader has been used or not.

“We appeal to the president either to reconsider his position or appeal to the National Assembly to look at it again.”

I can't wait for the Presidential Debate - Atiku

His Excellency Atiku Abubakar and The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party said on Friday night that he was keenly looking forward to next month's presidential debate, moments after watching the vice-presidential debate in Abuja.

H.E Abubakar expressed satisfaction with the showing of his running mate, Peter Obi, at the vice-presidential debate at Transcorp Hilton Hotels.

"I watched with pride as Peter Obi laid out our vision to get Nigeria working again," H.E Abubakar said on Twitter, adding that he cannot "wait for the presidential debate."

Mr Obi sparred with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and three other running mates in the five-person debate last night, focused mainly on the economy for about two and a half hours.

Mr Obi was widely praised for demonstrating a good grasp of statistics, and Mr Osinbajo received commendations for his ability to focus on what his government had done as against what the PDP did in its 16 years in power from 1999 to 2015.

Although the debate organizers said last week they expected President Muhammadu Buhari to participate at the presidential debate on January 19, there has been no commitment from the president.

President Muhammadu Buhari (All Progressives Congress), Oby Ezekwesili (Allied Congress Party of Nigeria) Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party), Kingsley Moghalu (Young Progressives Party), Fela Durotoye (Alliance for New Nigeria)

It was gathered on Friday night that the organizers have not received indications that Mr. Buhari would take part in the debate, but said H.E Abubakar's public utterances have given them confidence that the main opposition candidate would be available

President Buhari did not honour invitations to debate while running as the main opposition candidate of the All Progressives Congress in 2015.

Concerns that president Buhari would shun debate again this cycle prompted some PDP supporters on social media to have Mr Obi boycott last night's debate. They argued that President Buhari is trying to ride on the energy of Mr Osinbajo, rather than present himself for a similar debate as the most consequential person on the ticket.

Channels TV Exclusive Interview #SunriseDaily Today: Key Notes - Segun Showunmi

The Spokesperson of Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization, Hon. Segun Showunmi was on Channels TV this morning, on #SunriseDaily. The following are highlights of his words during the programme;

"- I know Uche Secondus very well. And I know he is usually very guarded. He (Uche Secondus, PDP National Chairman) must have credible intelligence that is suggesting that people are getting a bit meddlesome in the affairs of our Party (PDP).

- You know, there are few things that are tolerable and I think we can tolerate their (APC) shenanigans.

- Knowing fully well that our Party (PDP) is older than theirs (APC), it is stronger than theirs. It has been around for a longer period and can withstand that shock.

- I want to go back to the issue around whether we are nervous about the Electoral Act being signed or not and why they are seemingly so confident on why they want to do the election on the premise of what happened in 2015 of course, to people who have benefitted from a weak law, they will get excited to want to go with that same process.

- Look at the elections in Kano, everybody know about the accreditation, the number of incident forms that were used in some of these locations was a bit on the high-side.

- The whole idea of an incident form as it was conceived, is supposed to be to accommodate the minimal number of people whose fingerprints cannot be easily verified by the card reader and all of that.

- When the incident forms now become the majority reason by which you are able to do accreditation, we can clearly see the challenge there. One of it is that you are not able to know and verify underage voting. You are not able to eliminate the number of people who take other people's voters cards via voter cards "mopping up" and sharing to fans and getting them to use them.

- So before you even get into the PDP/APC conversation, the first conversation that needs to be on the table is that *we have a duty, and the President himself has a bigger duty to ensure that the processes are improved upon and I want to advice the President and I am being honest here; you cannot be President for four years in Nigeria and not be interested in deepening any of the laws.*

- In 1999, an announcement of a President created the EFCC Act, ICPC Act and all of that. Yar’adua created the Amnesty Act to solve serious problems at that time. Jonathan did the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to improve the situation of trying to get us to go through the judicial process faster.

- What exactly is this President going to bequeath for his time? It seems to be that what he could have done or the opportunity he should have taken is the Electoral Act and to work with it and make it work and give us a tidier and tighter one.

- The nations of the world are moving to get their people out of poverty. In that regard, China has been able to move about 700 million people out of poverty. India has been able to move people out of poverty, and Malaysia has done same.

- What we find in this APC government and their so-called TraderMoni is that common sense and intellectual engagement has departed from that (APC) government.

- No serious government can go into the market, take the Vice President, the exhorted Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, reduce him to a thrift-collector to be collecting PVC Numbers of people, to be giving them N10,000 that will not impact them well.

- What serious governments do is to come up with a framework that will help them to have financial inclusion, that will make sure that the banks do their duties and lend credit to them (market traders), that will make sure that they have a sustainable design that can get anybody gainfully employed and anybody in need, to get access to capital; (A framework) that can ensure that SME is the backbone which they get people out of poverty.

- This joke that they are calling TraderMoni, that they are going to the market with the Vice President, not just a junior Officer of that Government to be sharing N10,000, asking people for their PVC, subtly manipulating them and encouraging them towards the election. You know what? Nigerians are smarter than that!*

- This is a country where people make up their own minds and take their own decisions. The indices do not suggest that they (the APC government) are doing anything right. We had 8.7% poverty level before they came into Government, same as unemployment level; Now we have about 18.8%, double digits.

- We had single-digit inflation before they came into Government, now we have double-digit. The number of people that have gone into poverty is a lot. The number of people that are not able to find anything to do is a lot. The number of businesses that we have lost is a lot.

- We had about 578 million US Dollars economy before, now we have 73 million between 2015 and 2018. These are statistics by the CBN and by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics. Fact of the matter is that they are in Government. They have a right to run their programmes. They have a right to go about it anyhow they know, because that's why they got elected and they have all the term to govern.

- But we are saying to them, 'this is not sustainable'. You have to put investment in education. You have to put investment in social stabilisation. You have to put investment in financial inclusion.

- If they do not know what to do, they should go and learn from Rwanda, and Nigerians can be sure that when we get in charge, when Atiku Abubakar gets in charge, four things will happen quickly;

- The first is that we are going to create jobs, we are going to open up the economy so that big players can come in and create growth within the economy.

- We are going to unify this country, because they have divided it ridiculously. We are going to secure the country because more people have died under this Government, than died before. Right now, they have insurgency in the North East, it has gone to the North West, we have it in the North Central and obviously you remember the "Crocodile dance" of the South East.

- We are going to ensure that whatever happens in Nigeria, everybody would be able to know. If you want work, you would be able to find work. If you have a business, you would get access. The banks would be made to comply with the issues of doing core-banking which means the banks cannot be posting profit that is outperforming the real sector. That means they are not lending into the real sector.

- Those are some of the things that we would be doing. *Whatever is it that they are calling TraderMoni is just a gimmick for Election, so that they can transfer money to people and hope to get a profit from that, but I can assure you, Nigerians know that they cannot sell their votes, let alone the Vice President; the 'Almighty' Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that is now found distributing money on the streets.

2019 Election: Atiku signs Peace Accord

Atiku Signs Peace Accord

His Excellency Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate for the 2019 Presidential Polls has signed the Peace Accord.

The former Vice President signed the Peace Accord at the Kukah Centre on Wednesday in Abuja.

Atiku used the occasion to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the Electoral Act Amendment Bill ahead of the 2019 general election.

The PDP presidential candidate had earlier said that he could not make it to the signing of the document by the presidential candidates of other political parties on Tuesday because he did not get an invitation for the event.

He, however, expressed delight that Buhari agreed to sign the peace accord alongside other presidential candidates.

“I am delighted that the President has agreed to sign this peace accord, but we want to appeal to him to also sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

“Mr President needs to understand that as long as he refuses to sign this Bill, we will have doubt that this government is truly committed to a true, fair and credible election,” he said.

Atiku maintained that he was not a converted democrat but a real democrat from the beginning who alongside other leaders fought the military to return this country to democracy.

However, he said that the best way to guarantee peace in any election or human interaction was to ensure manifest justice to all concerned.

Earlier, Alhaji Abdusalami Abubakar, former Head of State and Chairman, National Peace Committee, apologized for not having the PDP presidential candidate at the signing of the peace accord held on Tuesday.

He said the news that the PDP boycotted the signing of the accord was completely wrong.

“I must apologies for the omission or commission, that the PDP was not able to attend that ceremony.

“The news that PDP boycotted the signing of the accord yesterday is completely wrong. I spoke to the presidential candidate and the party officials.

“It was not only the PDP that was not there yesterday, one or two parties were also not there,’’ he said.

He stressed that everybody involved in the project cared for peace and wants a peaceful election in 2019.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the political parties and their presidential candidates, especially, are to commit to issue-based campaigns and to avoid hate speech.

According to the peace accord, they are also to publicly speak against provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence.

They are also expected to support all government institutions including INEC and the security agencies to act and be seen to act with impartiality.