Six days to the much-anticipated 2023 presidential election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, have separately expressed confidence of winning the race.
The optimism of the two candidates comes against the backdrop of rounding off of their state by state presidential campaign rallies last week, even though campaigns are due until two days before the February 25 election.
Atiku, in an email message to his party members and supporters, said while it was comical to see the members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in open disagreement about how their party has taken the country aback, he declared that he was confident that PDP will achieve victory on Saturday.
He said, “The good part of it is that the APC governing elite has by itself admitted that the party has only brought pains and hardship on the country.
“But while the APC continues with their rumblings, I am very proud of the work that we have done together in bringing the Recover Nigeria message to every doorstep across the country.
“It is the determination and commitment by folks like you in pushing the campaign that gives me the confidence that we shall achieve victory on Saturday.
“In these final days, we have to do even more! We still have ample time to push harder in ensuring first that everyone around you with their PVCs come out to vote.”
He further charged his supporters to rally their base by convincing friends, colleagues, families, and spouses to vote for what he called the safe choice, which the PDP represents.
“Governor Okowa and I are exceptionally proud of your terrific work and we both believe that you shall deliver your polling units for the PDP on Saturday,” Atiku added.
On his part, the LP candidate, Peter Obi, reviewed his nationwide campaign rallies that started in Nasarawa State on October 29, 2022, and ended in Lagos State on February 11, 2023, describing his experience as awesome and inspiring.
Obi said his resolve to lead the ‘Take-back Nigeria’ movement has been strengthened since he and his running mate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed embarked on the campaign.
“From one state to the other, we saw a people fatigued by failed governance but looking very eager and willing to see a new Nigeria,” he said.
The LP candidate added that rather than feeling fatigued and exhausted, the rally reenergised him and Datti, adding that it has become the catalyst for them because Nigerians of all tribes, religions, regions, classes, and sex were unanimous in their desire for a real change and a new Nigeria.
A statement from his media team, quoted Obi sa saying: “The love shown to me and Datti in all the places we went has energized us into wanting to render all to rescue this country.
“We saw poverty which shouldn’t be for a naturally endowed nation like ours, we saw people denied compassion by their leaders.
“We saw energy and vitality being wasted, youths in their productive age wrongly deploying their talents because of lack of direction and engagement.
“In the East, West, North, and South we saw conspicuously unanimity of abandonment arising from failure of governance.
“I saw poverty in the North, but I also saw untapped talent, underutilized and wrongly deployed energy, and also saw vast arable land, the country’s future gold, and oil.
“I am thrilled by what I saw across the country in the people’s zeal for something different; people who are suffering but are hopeful about tomorrow. People are disappointed by the failed leadership over the years but remain optimistic and expectant about tomorrow.
“Our top priority remains securing and uniting the country because without security there is nothing anybody can achieve and without harmony among the people, there can not be meaningful progress.
“I am grateful for the show of love from all the states and I appreciate and assure the people that Datti and I will not disappoint them. We will deliver exactly what we have promised.”
The LP standard bearer charged the people to activate the “take back Nigeria project” by ensuring they come out in their numbers to cast their votes for character, competence, capacity, and capabilities and to reject any sentiment of tribe, religion or ‘my-turn’ mentality.
He added that it was the turn of Nigerian youths to take back their country and rebuild it.
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