Atiku, Kwankwaso lobby Rivers’ voters ahead APC primaries

Atiku, Kwankwaso lobby Rivers’ voters ahead APC primaries

Two presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State, have canvassed for votes from the party’s delegates in Rivers State, ahead next week’s presidential primaries.


Speaking at the Rivers State Government House, at the weekend, Abubakar said he was the most experienced person in democratic governance among the other aspirants to be the presidential flag bearer in the 2015 general election.

In the same vein, Kwankwaso, while speaking, on Friday, described himself as having the capacity to lead and transform Nigeria, if elected as the president in 2015.

Atiku expressed absolute commitment to aid APC to achieve its desired results in 2015, stating that he would ensure the party maintains its internal democracy and promote due process.

“Rivers State is my home because I have an investment which employs over 20,000 persons and that is why I have come to seek the support of the delegates to win the APC presidential primary election, holding next week.

“We are prepared to bring the needed change this nation deserves and among APC presidential aspirants, I think, I am better prepared. I have served as a democratically elected vice president for eight years. I have better blueprint for Niger Delta,” Atiku said.

He urged Governor Amaechi, as the APC leader in Rivers State, to ensure a level playing field, “so that we can produce a credible candidate for APC. I promise to take the party to greater heights.”

On the other hand, Kwankwaso said he was the best choice to fly the APC flag in the forthcoming presidential election.

“I am here to see my brother, the leader of APC here in Rivers State and all other delegates so that we can see face-to-face; to interact, so we can understand ourselves and by the 10th of this month, God willing, in Lagos, everybody will go and vote Jonathan out of Villa in 2015.

   “Let me say that I believe, not because I am Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso but I very much believe that Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso under the present situation is the best candidate for our party, the APC.

“Many people under this our circumstances, even in this bad situation, tend to bring in their personal interests. Even the worst critic of Kwanwaso cannot say he is not capable. You can say anything, but they will tell you I have the capacity to do it and the commitment; and that is what we need now.

“They know Rochas, they know Amaechi, they know the governor of Sokoto, they know all others that were in PDP and we decided to move to APC. But there are two people that they fear most, the Rotimi of Rivers and the Rotimi of Kano.

“When they mention our names there, they are shivering. They know we are very serious people. They don’t joke with us and that is why now we have one of the Rotimis in the ring. He is the last person they want to see as a candidate of APC”, he said.

Responding, Governor Amaechi hailed Kwankwaso for his decision to run for president, adding that the government at the centre was rotten and would require new leadership to turn things around in Nigeria.

Recalling his travails, Amaechi said he was politically betrayed by most of those he knew but singled out Governor Kwankwaso as having been the one of those who stood by him in his trying times.

He described Kwankwaso as a potential president the country needed to get out of troubled waters and wished him and all the other APC presidential aspirants luck in the party’s upcoming presidential primaries.

Also speaking during Atiku Abubakar’s visit, the governor called on APC delegates and party faithful to leverage on the strong networks in the internal democracy of the party towards ensuring a desirable change in the 2015 general elections

He said the democratic process to enthrone the needed change for a new government in 2015 would depend on the ability of the party faithful to present credible candidates as well as mobilise the electorate to vote for the credible candidates of APC in the general election.

“Things will change only when we desire to take and properly handle things with our hands rightly. This is the time for us to come out enmasse and support the party.

“We must be ready to force change in 2015. But you cannot do that in your house; you have to join in the massive mobilisation of supporters and admirers to be at polling units to vote credible candidates of APC.

“APC can win if we massively urge party supporters to vote. It will be right when our opponents see our supporters or the electorates coming out to the polling units to choose their leaders and by that calculation, we can win the presidency in 2015”, he said.

Source: Tribune