2023: PDP Targets 5m Votes From South South States
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared its intention to win six million votes from the six South South states in the presidential election of 2023.
The PDP stated that its goal is to receive 700,000 votes from the state when campaigning for the presidency in Bayelsa state.
Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, the vice presidential candidate and governor of Delta state, revealed the party’s strategy while addressing the crowd during the presidential campaign rally. He claimed that the PDP has the best chance of winning the presidency given the economic crisis and the dysfunctional social and security system that the ruling All Progressives Congress has caused (APC).
He said, “This is the best opportunity we have as a party to reclaim the presidency and I am sure that Bayelsa is ready. Go out there and ensure that you deliver a minimum of 700,000 votes and I know that in the South South geopolitical zone, we are committed to delivering a minimum of five million votes and I know that it is doable. We must work to deliver that quantum of votes.
“I know that with Atiku Abubakar and your son Sen. IfanyI Okowa and other well-meaning Nigerians, we will be able to change the story of Nigeria. The division in Nigeria will not continue to go on. We must reunify Nigeria; we must ensure that we restore peace in Nigeria. We must ensure that we grow the economy.”
Addressing the crowd, the presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar reaffirmed his commitment to restructuring the country, devolution of powers and creating the right policies that will avail more resources and powers to states and local government.
Atiku lamented that the ruling party has exploited the nations’ fault lines, leaving citizens are more divided along ethnic and religious lines.
He said: “I said I am committed to implementing five key programs in this country starting from the unification of this Country. The reason why I want to unify the country is because we have never been this divided along a number of fault lines either north South or Muslim and Christian.
“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, do not breach the law and order, I promise I will restore security in this country.
“We promised that we are going to tackle the economy and make sure that we provide jobs and other opportunities for our young men and women to be gainfully employed either in the private sector or public sector.
“Finally, we propose to restructure this country, you people in the Niger Delta need more restructuring than any other part of this country, we would give you more resources and power to deal with your problems, you don’t need to always beg the federal government for everything, when you are actually producing the resources of the country, so we will devolve more power and resources to you in the Niger Delta.”
The Director General of the campaign council and governor of Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said, “Atiku/Okowa are very familiar with the issues in the South South, Atiku is very familiar with the issue of insecurity in the South South. Atiku is the only candidate in this election that has a clear pathway for restructuring Nigeria and not only that, he picked Sen. Seriake Dickson as his technical adviser on restructuring.
“You should know that Atiku means restructuring and he will do it and by the grace of God, there will be a better Nigeria where life will be more meaningful to all of us especially our women in Bayelsa, our farmers in Bayelsa, our fishermen in Bayelsa, our youths in Bayelsa and every Nigerian. Atiku will reposition Nigeria and will rescue it.”
