September 28,2022

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has disclosed that he has three Igbo sons, while promising to work to ensure that the next president of Nigeria after him is an Igbo man.

The former vice president, who had hinted at backing Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State governor and his running mate for the 2023 election as his successor, spoke on Tuesday during a meeting with PDP South East zonal stakeholders in Enugu

Atiku said he has a close relationship with the Igbo people, which he said influenced his choices of Senator Ben Obi and Peter Obi as his running mates in his previous outings as a presidential candidate.

He added that he has chosen another Igbo, Okowa for the third time as his running mate

“I have three Igbo children and I am saying this for the very first time in public,” he said.

“I make it quite clear, and confidently too, I will be your stepping stone to becoming president,” he said.

“I did that in 2019. Again, I brought another Obi as my running mate. So, how could you say I will not give the Igbo a fair chance to lead this country?”

He also praised the Igbo for their “very positive roles in the development of my life and country

He said, “You are a key contributor to the economy in this country and a government that wants to revive our economy must carry the south-east along,” he added

Atiku said if elected as president, his administration will provide quality education that would equip youths with the required skills and competency for a modern economy.

“We must be prepared to hit the ground running from day one if Nigerians give us their mandate,” he said.

“Our country is in very bad shape and rescuing it requires proper preparations and attention to detail, not just in terms of general issues affecting the whole country, but also issues specific to each zone and state

Our country is more divided today than it has ever been and it is our responsibility to unify through equity, justice and fairness. That way, we can all pull in one direction to develop our country and improve our people’s lives.

“This will require giving every segment of this country a sense of belonging, not just by meeting constitutional requirements on federal character, but through government policies, programmes, and projects, and in our body language and utterances.”

He said security and restructuring will be part of the priority of the government he leads.

“We will recruit, train adequately and reward police and other security personnel,” he said.

“We shall devolve policing powers to states that so desire and establish state police to help secure their states

We will restructure our federal system and devolve more power to the state with corresponding resources.

“I have already set up a constitutional review comprising constitutional lawyers to help me draft an amendment to our constitution so that from day one, I will meet with the governors, and leaders of legislatures so that we can have an understanding and pass that law or amendment to our constitution.

“That way, states will be able to set their own development priorities, while the federal government focuses on setting and maintaining standards. Our country needs restructuring to survive and thrive.