Everything negative, situation pathetic, worst ever – PDP, LP presidential candidates
Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Monday flayed the Federal Government over the insecurity and economic crisis confronting the nation, stating that Nigeria possessed all the negative indices that qualified it as a failed state.
The two candidates unanimously agreed that 2023 is Nigeria’s decisive year, noting that the election is critical to the country’s existence.
Atiku and Obi spoke at the ongoing 62nd Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos.
Also at the event was the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Kashim Shettima, who represented his principal, Bola Tinubu.
He urged Nigerians to vote for their joint ticket because of their achievements as governors in Lagos and Borno states.
Governors Solomon Lalong and Godwin Obaseki of Plateau and Edo states, respectively, equally attended the conference.The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and a popular author, Chimamanda Adichie and other speakers advocated the reform of the Nigerian judiciary in order to position the country on the path of transformational change.
In his remarks, Atiku observed that the country is more disunited today than it had ever been since democracy took root in 1999, noting that Nigeria had never found itself in such a very critical situation in its history.
Speaking on the theme: ’Bold transitions in the 21st century as far as our country is concerned,’ he submitted that Nigeria had all the negative indices, adding that the nation had never experienced the current level of poverty, insecurity and unemployment.
He stated, “Since the return of democracy in 1998/99, Nigeria has never found itself in such a very very critical point in our history.
“Today, we have had all the negative indices. Today, we are all disunited in the nation. We have never experienced this level of poverty. We have never experienced this state of insecurity. We have never experienced this level of unemployment. We have recognised all these negative development in our history.”
He added that the important thing was to tackle the challenges.
“This is where history and experience beckon to us that we don’t get it wrong at this point in time. If we get it wrong, I don’t know when we will get it right,’’ he noted.
An online newspaper, The Cable reported that ex-vice-president revealed that he would hand over the federal universities to states if he was elected president.
According to the report, Atiku said his administration’s reform would involve creating an enabling environment for foreign and local investors.
The reforms, he further explained, would include healthcare and education ‘’because the government alone cannot bring about development.’’
He stated, ‘’One of the fundamental reforms I have in my policy document is to encourage the private sector as far as the development of the country is concerned — both foreign and local. It is very essential because the federal government does not have the resources to do all the things that they want to do,” he said.
Powers devolution
Shedding more light on his plans, he stated, “The only way is to make sure that a conducive environment is available for the local and foreign investors to participate in the development of our country whether it is infrastructure, education and healthcare.
Atiku Abubakar
“I had an argument with a university professor from Federal University, Lokoja. He said he read in my policy document that I intend to devolve, in other words, to return education to the states. How dare I do that?
‘’I said: ‘Mr professor, do you realise that the first set of our universities belongs to the regional governments?’ He said, ‘yes’. I said ‘who are the successors of the regional government?’ He said: ‘the states’.
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