…Meets Editors, vows to uphold press freedom
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has pledged to form a government of national unity if elected.
Speaking as a guest at the Nigerian Editors’ Forum in Lagos yesterday, Atiku said the PDP would form a government of National Unity as a way of uniting the country that would assign active roles to members of the opposition parties. The former vice-president also promised to kick-start and see through the process of restructuring the polity.
The PDP candidate said his government would encourage a liberalised economy through the private sector and improve the nation’s wealth. He said his government would not leave any of the geopolitical zones behind in governance. According to him, that was what the PDP Government did under President Olusegun Obasanjo regime when members of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) and All People’s Party (APP) were included in the government after PDP won the election in 1999.
He said: “Even though PDP won overwhelmingly in 1999, we still included members of the opposition parties in a government of national unity and with that, we were able to ensure unity”.
Atiku further said, he would not behave like President Muhammadu Buhari who picked almost all the Heads of Security operatives from a section of the country, saying if he becomes the President, he will ensure every geo -political zone is represented in the headship of the security agencies
On the economy, he said he would continue the economic policy former President Olusegun Obasanjo adopted between 1999 and 2007 by continuing with privatisation of the public enterprise.
Atiku, who was also the vice president during the period, said the biggest economies in the world are private-sector driven and the government has little or no interference. He said rather than the government borrowing money to build roads, bridges, such can be conceded to the private sector, and then there will be jobs and prosperity.
On how he will improve the security situation, Atiku said he will ensure more recruitment of personnel, more equipment, more training and more votes for the security.
He also threw his support for state police, adding that was part of the restructuring agenda.
The presidential candidate also yesterday vowed to uphold press freedom if he wins the 2023 presidential election. Giving accolades to the Nigerian media, the former Vice-President said: “I want to pay tribute to the press for their role in the restoration of democracy in Nigeria. Many of you have sacrificed your life and career”.
