2023: Atiku Restates Commitment To Restructuring, Power Devolution

The Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has reinterated his resolve to ensure restructuring and devolution of power to states.

The former vice president spoke on Monday at the presidential campaign rally of the party ar the iconic Oxbowl Lake Pavillion, Swali in Yengoa, Bayelsa State capital.

He promised to end the lingering fuel crisis in the country by building more refineries.

Describing Bayelsa as a PDP state that has produced governors and presidents, he said he would tackle the incessant strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the country by increasing funding for the education sector.

“I want to remind you, since the beginning of democracy in 1999, Bayelsa State has been PDP and PDP has been Bayelsa.

"Everything you see in Bayelsa State today was provided by the PDP government.

"Therefore, I am calling on you, the people of Bayelsa State not to make the mistake of leaving PDP. 

"You have provided governors and president and many more shall come.

"So the future of Bayelsa State and Nigeria is tied to PDP.

“I want to appeal to you, if you have listened to my programmes, I said I am committed to implementing five key programmes in this country.

"Starting with the unification of this country because this country has never been this divided along a number of frontiers. 

"I am going to give every part of this country a sense of belonging in the next PDP government.

“I promise to tackle insecurity, here in Bayelsa State, you have faced a number of security challenges.

"You have lost so many people due to breaches in law and order, I promised I will restore security in this country.

“Thirdly, I said I am going to tackle the economy of this country. 

"The PDP government if you recalled from 1999 to 2015 we had the best economy in Africa but the APC has come and pushed us back and brought us down. 

"We promise that we will tackle the economy and make sure we provide jobs and opportunities for our young men and women to be gainfully employed either in the private or public sector.

“Again we promise that we will never see any more ASUU strike.

"We will devolved a lot of resources to education to make sure that our young men and women are properly educated and continue to go to school without any interruption.

“Finally, we will restructure this country so that you people.

"We will give you more resources and more powers to deal with your governance so you don’t go begging the Federal Government to come and do things for you when you are actually producing the resources of the country.

"So we will devolve more powers and resources to the Niger Delta.

“I appeal for your support and understanding, cooperation so that we can achieve all these goals."