The Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council in Osun State has backed Governor Ademola Adeleke on his pronouncement that the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will win South-West landslide in the February 25 election, dismissing the statement credited to the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council in the state as a mere ranting of charlatans still lost in the dust of their ignorance.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Hon. Sunday Bisi on Friday, the Osun Atiku/Okowa Campaign said “it is a pity that the APC is still living in denial of the resolve of Nigerians, particularly the Yorubas to disembark from the misrule that characterized it, echoing the message of Governor Adeleke that the electorate in the South-West will deliver a resounding victory to Atiku/Okowa in next month’s poll.
Hon. Bisi added that a vast majority of voters in the South-West have preference for the candidature of Atiku on the strength of his capacity to get the country working again, stressing that the Yorubas will not be hoodwinked into rewarding failure, which is the reflection of Tinubu’s candidature.
“Next month’s election is about the survival of Nigeria and by every indications, beyond the narrow understanding of the disgruntled elements posing as Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council in Osun state. Otherwise, they would have appreciated the foresight of Governor Adeleke on the impending victory of Atiku/Okowa in the South-West and by extension, the next President of Nigeria by God grace,” the statement noted.
“Only political neophytes as the assemblage of Tinubu campaign in Osun suggests will want to dispute this glaring fact and to help cure their ignorance, we will state here at least 10 solid reasons that supported Governor Adeleke’s prediction of Atiku/Okowa victory in the South-West.
“On number one is the widespread support, huge turnouts and the deep network that Atiku enjoys across the South-West. All of these are good political capital that will come handy on election day, earning him far more votes than any of his challengers.
“Another is the promise of restructuring made by Alhaji Atiku. Contrary to the wrong narratives of some selfish politicians, the real interest of Yorubas is to experience growth and development in the zone as it was the case in the first and second republics. This can only be possible through restructuring, something Atiku has promised to implement as president.
“The third reason is the Atiku’s agenda for the industrialisation of the South-West. In all campaigns in the zone, Atiku emphasized his commitment to the industrialisation of the South-West, which will transform it and provide source of employment to young people.
“On number four is the fact that Atiku is the most trustworthy of all the candidates vying for the presidential seat. He isn’t someone that will watch a tertiary institution in the South-West stay shut for over a year despite holding the role of Chancellor. And he is not someone that will deceive people with the name of Awolowo while amassing unexplained wealth from the sweat of his own people.
“Fifth, Atiku is the most experienced presidential candidate in the election. As a former Vice President, he has clarity on the demands of the office and not someone that will waste quality time on trial and errors.
“Atiku is an in-law to the Yorubas. His first wife, Titi Abubakar, is a Yorubawoman from Ilesa, Osun state, clearly attesting to the fact that he’s a detribalised Nigerians, and won’t pander along ethnic line as president. It equally punctures the scaremongering tactics of the opponents who tried to play on him being a Fulaniman to dissuade voters, because if Atiku could marry a Yorubawoman at a time it was not fashionable to do so, it shows he won’t discriminate based on ethnicity.
“And on number seven is the promise to help Osun out of the debt binge that the APC plunged it into. This will ease the trap of indebtedness Tinubu’s party laid out for unborn generations in Osun state and make it easy for the state to pursue meaningful developments.
“Atiku is not vindictive, and won’t do anything that will threaten the survival of our democracy. And on nine and ten is Atiku commitment to financial autonomy of local governments and firm actions on taming insecurity challenges confronting the South-West.
“All of these are what endears Atiku to voters in the South-West as it outclasses the vagueness and incoherence that defines Tinubu candidacy. The South-West is not interested in the ethnic sentiment that the APC is trying to pounce on and will be joining other parts of Nigeria in electing a president that can truly effect positive turnaround, which is no other but Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”
