PEOPLE’S Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar yesterday promised to establish Electoral Fraud
Commission to try anyone found infringing on electoral laws.
Atiku said the present government lacks political will to punish
offenders.
He and his running mate, Peter Obi, spoke yesterday on The
Candidates programme aired live on the Nigerian Television
Authority (NTA) in Abuja.
Atiku said he and Obi have what it takes to end poverty in
Nigeria.
He said he has been able to lift 45,000 persons out of poverty
in his home state of Adamawa.
“A few years ago, I set up a microfinance bank and I brought in
someone from Bangladesh and you know they are the best in the world
in that area. I told him I wanted to lift people out of poverty and
I want you to dedicate 80 per cent of your loans to women. You know
how many persons I was able to lift out of poverty? 45,000,” he
said.
The former vice president said Nigeria needed a pro-business and
private sector-driven leadership to create jobs for its 21 million
unemployed youths.
According to him, one of our major plans is to create jobs in
the agriculture sector, which has the largest capacity for job
creation.
On corruption allegations against him, Atiku said he is the most
investigated public officer in the country, who had never been
found wanting.
He lamented the dearth of middle class in Nigeria, blaming
President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for the collapsed of
the middle class.
On Boko Haram, he said the setback by the military was as a
result of lack of equipment and welfare.
If elected into office, he promised to investigate military
hierarchy indicted in short-changing the soldiers.
On Shiites/military clashes, Atiku said military has nothing to
do with the Shiites.
According to him, police should have been allowed to deal with
them.
On farmers/herders’ clash, he said both of them need to be
enlightened on the existing laws.
He lamented the collapse of nomadic education, promising to
revive it.
This, according to him, will minimise the movement of nomads and
allow them to concentrate in a particular area.
Atiku refuted fraud allegation levelled against his wife, saying
his wife had never been indicted or accused of such offence.
“My wife has not been indicted and she has not been charged. So,
there is no way you can hold her accountable. She has been
traveling to America very often,” he said.
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