Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to end the multifaceted problems plaguing Nigeria.
Speaking at the Catholic Centre and Hotel 17 in Kaduna on Sunday, Atiku told both the Christian and Muslim congregations that since he started his campaign, that was the first time he had met religious leaders of both faiths.
The former vice president said his administration would accord equal respect to every Nigerian irrespective of their ethnicity and religion, saying “I swear by God, I will end the insecurity bedevilling our country. I will do it and I can do it.
“I promise to run an all-inclusive government. No section of the country will be left out in my government. Every section is important.
“If any person comes to you under the garb of religion, please don’t trust that person.”
At the Muslim interactive session which was organised by three Muslim groups; the Supreme Council for Shari’a in Nigeria, Council of Ulamas, and Imams and Council of Women Da’wa, the PDP standard bearer said, “I do not need to outline the many problems facing the country because we are all living witness.”
He, however, indicated that there are three fundamental diseases disturbing the nation, noting that “the number one disease plaguing the country is lack of unity among Nigerians. This has eaten deep into the main fabric of our coexistence.”
He also listed insecurity as another major problem facing the country as well as high level of poverty facing Nigerians, especially in the northern part of the country.
The Waziri of Adamawa further noted that it was on this premise that he would like to seek their continuous prayers, pledging to work to fix the damage done to the country.
Earlier, the director-general of the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, said the party’s standard bearer is a complete gentleman who is an upright person and a patriot.
Tambuwal told the congregation that Atiku, a former vice president, could be trusted with power. He equally said his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, was picked in order to have a country that recognises the heterogeneous nature of the society.
Dignitaries that accompanied the former vice president included the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu; Ambassador Umar Damagun; former vice president, Namadi Sambo; Senator Ahmed Makarfi; Sule Lamido; Senator Adamu Aliero; Senator Ibrahim Shekarau; Lyel Imoke; Raymond Dokpesi; Ramalan Yero, among others.