Atiku, Mark, Aregbesola Campaign For ADC Candidate

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Monday made a direct appeal to Osun voters to support the ADC in the August 15 governorship election, saying the party represents the best of Nigerians.

Speaking at the ADC grand rally at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Atiku recalled his long-standing political relationship with the people of Osun, noting that the state has been supporting him for a long time.

He said he had previously campaigned in Osun for the current governor, Ademola Adeleke and for his own presidential bid, adding that the Osun people gave him their support both times.

“This is the fourth time I am standing on this podium. Each time I stood here, you have given me your vote. I cannot forget that because your daughter is in my house.

“I came here for the current governor, and I told you, people, to support him, and you voted for him. I came here on my presidential campaign; you voted for me, and you defeated Bola Ahmed Tinubu. For me, I can’t forget that,” Atiku told the crowd.

The former Vice President said he was in Osun to personally thank voters for their past support and to ask for their votes again.

“I have come today to appeal to you again to vote for ADC. This is because ADC is different from APC, Accord and other political parties. The best of Nigerians today are in ADC,” he said.

Atiku expressed optimism that the large turnout at the rally signalled victory for the ADC in Saturday’s election.

“I thank you very much for your turnout, which is quite impressive and that has given us optimism that in the next elections we are going to win; you are going to win,” he added.

The national chairman of ADC, Senator David Mark, in his remarks, said the gathering was to celebrate the forthcoming victory of the party in the poll.

Mark urged voters to go out en masse on Saturday to vote and also protect their votes, warning that anybody who attempts to rig the election will not go scot free.

“What we are here to do is celebrate the victory that we are going to come to the ADC on Saturday. Our Presidential candidate is here with us, and this shows the love he has for this party. By the time we swear in Najeem Salam in November, we will be here again to march with you to the government house.

“On Saturday, protect your votes. Don’t allow anybody to rig you out. They will not rig and get away with it,” the ADC national chairman stated.

Former Governor of the state and National Secretary of the ADC, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, said the ADC is genuinely committed to the welfare of the people.

Aregbesola disclosed that government must be about service, opportunity, and restoring confidence in leadership, noting that the ADC represents the true heirs of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s progressive tradition of free education, quality healthcare, and social welfare.

Recalling programmes introduced during his administration between 2010 and 2018, which he said were designed to put people first, Aregbesola said the ADC governorship candidate will bring back all his laudable programmes if elected on Saturday.

He added that the ADC will reintroduce school feeding across public primary schools and expand other social intervention schemes abandoned by successive governments.

“We invested in healthcare, social welfare, and emergency response systems like O-AMBULANCE. We introduced O’YES for youth empowerment, O’MEALS for school feeding, and O’REAP for agriculture. These and many more laudable programmes will be back under Iwaloye,” Aregbesola said.

He stressed that good governance should be a continuum and that beneficial programmes must not be discarded because of political differences.

On infrastructure, Aregbesola said rural roads are more than concrete and asphalt because they connect farmers to markets, children to schools, and communities to opportunities, promising that the next ADC government will prioritise rural electrification, mechanised agriculture, and innovation hubs to drive jobs and productivity.

Aregbesola described the party’s candidate in Osun as the face of continuity, urging the electorate to choose him as the next governor to lead the state.

According to him, Salaam’s agenda includes re-establishing O’YES to employ 20,000 youths, reviving the O’MEALS school feeding programme, expanding mechanised agriculture, and investing in rural infrastructure and technology.

“This election is about the future of Osun. Quality education, youth opportunities, farmer prosperity, and a government that truly serves the people,” Aregbesola said.

He urged Osun voters to come out on August 15 and vote for the ADC, saying the party has both the experience and the blueprint to restore prosperity and dignity to the state.

Addressing the gathering after receiving the flag of the party, the ADC gubernatorial candidate, Dr Najeem Salam, promised that his government would prioritise the wellbeing of Osun people.

Salam said all sectors would be improved upon, warning that the party would not allow any form of rigging in the poll.

The ADC candidate also promised jobs for 20,000 youths in his first 100 days in office.

“On Saturday, nobody will be allowed to rig us out. What they did in Ekiti State will not happen here. If we win the election, I want to tell you that our electricity will be stable. We have a solution to that, and it is a promise.

“Education from the primary to the secondary school for our children will be free, and we will also ensure that we have a committee that will review the tuition fees in our higher institutions with a plan to bring it down.

“Children from age 1 to 18 will have access to free medical treatment in a well-equipped government hospital. Our pregnant women will have free treatment. Our elders and widows will be taken care of,” Salam said.