PDP Candidate hits Tinubu, accuses APC of telling lies in relation to Lagos development
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has pledged to privatise the nation’s refineries if elected as President next year, if voted in as president come 2023.
The PDP candidate who spoke on Monday during PDP’s presidential rally in Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, said he will earmark $10 billion from the refinery sales to empower the small and medium-scale enterprises of young Nigerians.
He also seized the opportunity to hit back at Bola Ahmed Tinubu and also debunked the claim that he built Lagos, stating that ot was the federal government that built Lagos.
He identified the refineries to be sold as the Port Harcourt refinery, Warri refinery, and Kaduna refinery which have not been functioning for years now.
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“I am going to set aside $10 billion so that we can empower our young men and women in small and medium enterprises,” he said.
“People are asking me where am I going to get $10 billion? If I privatise Port Harcourt refinery, Warri refinery, Kaduna refinery, I am going to get the money.”
While asking the mammoth Lagos residents to vote in the PDP government next year, the former Vice President pledged that his administration will restructure Africa’s most populous nation.
In doing so, he promised to allocate more powers and resources to both state and local governments, asking the people to hold their leaders accountable.
The PDP candidate warned the people of Lagos against returning the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to power at both in the state and federal levels.
According to him, “a single family has ruled the state for 23 years,” although he did not specifically mention any name.
“The Federal government built the third mainland bridge, Agege motor road, and other road infrastructures in the state, the APC govt is lying to you about developing Lagos.
“It is time for you to liberate yourself from a family govt in power for over 23 years, by voting Jandor as your governor.”
Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar said that the Federal Government of Nigeria developed the nation’s economic nerve center, Lagos.
The PDP Presidential candidate said the All Progressives Congress (APC) lied that its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu built Lagos after the nation’s return to democracy in 1999.
Atiku, who spoke at the PDP presidential rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, warned the people of the state against returning APC to power at the federal and state levels, saying “a single family has ruled the state for 23 years”.
Addressing a crowd of PDP supporters decked up in party paraphernalia, the former Vice-President said, “53 years ago when I came to Lagos in 1969, there was only one Carter Bridge built by the Europeans, no Second Mainland Bridge, no Third Mainland Bridge, no Tafawa Balewa Square, that was when I came to Lagos, all of you were not born then.
“Now, I want to tell you, this is a fact, you can go and check: the Federal Government built the Second Mainland Bridge, the Federal Government rebuilt the Old Carter Bridge, the Federal Government built the Third Mainland Bridge, rebuilt Agege Motor Road, rebuilt Ikorodu Road, all the major roads connecting Island and Mainland.”
He said the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the APC governments in Lagos since 1999 lied about developing the state.
“The AD, ACN and APC governments have been telling you lies that they developed Lagos, they did not develop Lagos at all, na lie; they are lying to you,” he said.
Atiku urged Lagosians to free themselves from the control of the Tinubu family by voting in the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos, Olajide Adediran better known as Jandor.
“Therefore, it is time for you, the people of Lagos to liberate yourselves from a family’s government to a people’s government that is going to be led by Jandor,” he said.
Atiku further promised to restructure Nigeria along the lines of fiscal federalism as well as privatise the country’s refineries.
He was at the rally with his running mate and Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa; PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu; Governors Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), amongst others.
Atiku is in the 2023 presidential race alongside top contenders including Tinubu and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
