Sokoto State Governor and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal saturday noted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be defeated in the 2019 presidential election.
Tambuwal, one of the actors that ended the PDP rule in 2015, noted that he was confident of clinching the PDP presidential ticket in the face of various political gladiators seeking to run on the PDP platform.
He predicted APC’s defeat at a news conference at the State House, Sokoto yesterday, expressing confidence that he “has what it takes to clinch the PDP presidential ticket in the forthcoming primary election.
In a memorandum to its National Executive Council last Monday, the PDP had set aside October 5 and 6 to hold its national convention where the party’s candidate for the 2019 presidential election would emerge.
Apart from Tambuwal, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; former Kano State Governor, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso; President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Hassan Dankwambo, former PDP National Chairman, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Taminu Turaki, among others, are seeking the PDP nomination.
At the news conference yesterday, Tambuwal said he had gone round the country “to meet with party members and was optimistic of winning big in the forthcoming polls. Delegates of the party are the determinants of the winner of the primary election and as such confident that they would vote for him.
“As you are aware, the primary election is about party delegates and I am sure that the delegates would find me worthy to be the PDP candidate, with a view to winning the 2019 presidential election.”
He noted that his mission to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was borne out of the desire to rescue Nigeria from the myriad of challenges bedeviling it, noting that the people of Nigeria “are in dire need of a secured and economically developed country, as well as a stable polity.”
Tambuwal expressed determination “to provide quality education for the youths so as to become useful in the society if given the mandate come 2019. The PDP will defeat the APC in the 2019 presidential election.”
At the end of the primary election, the presidential aspirant pledged “to accept the outcome of the election whether I win or lose. This is because anybody, who wins believes that, we are going to work collectively to save Nigeria from the present mess we find ourselves in the country.”
Another PDP presidential aspirant, Mr. Hamidu Tafida yesterday appealed to Nigerians to contribute money for him to enable him obtain the party’s nomination form and achieve his aspiration.
Tafida stated that he would be able “to prosecute his campaign if one million Nigerians contribute N200 each to his campaign fund. The situation in the country required sacrifice from all and sundry to pull it out of the doldrums saying all hands must be on deck to overhaul the country.
“I wish to officially make public my intention to run for the Presidency of Nigeria. Let me appeal to one million Nigerians put together N 200 each and purchase nomination form for me to enable me actualise this ambition for the good of all,” Tafida noted.
Tafida urged Nigerians to be wise and resist attempts by political merchants to continue stifling the country’s development through vote buying and manipulation of the electoral process.
He promised to tackle corruption and insecurity headlong by doing away and eliminating the reign of impunity currently being witnessed in the country to pave way for rapid socio-economic development.
He promised to create jobs through mechanised agriculture and rapid industrialization if elected into office, noting that Nigerians “have suffered and it is time to make sacrifices for a better society.”