"My only prayer is that if God gives me this position [ticket], let me not disappoint you as I will look to you for help to achieve this ambition and work together for the development of this country," he said.
Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President, on Tuesday said that his only prayer to God is not to disappoint the people if given the presidential ticket to run as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general election.
Abubakar said he needs support of members to realize his ambition of becoming the next President of the country.
He noted that Nigeria is currently witnessing its greatest disunity and economic decline under the current government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He asked the people to join hands with him and render more support in kicking out the APC-led government out of the power in 2019.
Abubakar spoke in Akure during his meeting with PDP members and delegates in Ondo state.
His visit to Ondo State was part of his tour to PDP state chapters to galvanize support from delegates ahead of the party's primary, which has been fixed for October 6, 2018.
He said that the country was having serious issues in the areas of bad economy and security, but promised to fix them if given the chance as the next President.
He told delegates in the state PDP that he looked forward to working with them to restore the party's lost glory if he emerges its presidential candidate.
"My only prayer is that if God gives me this position [ticket], let me not disappoint you as I will look to you for help to achieve this ambition and work together for the development of this country," he said.
"We have made several mistakes in the past but it is not too late for us to reverse the 'greatness' God has bestowed on us as a people of this country. Let us resolve and make sure that we have the right candidate for the PDP and let us resolve to make sure that we kick out this APC out of the government, because, they (APC) are fakes and there is nothing they didn't promise us then but we are still totally the opposite as at today.
"We are witnessing the greatest economic decline since the return of democracy in Nigeria and we are also witnessing great security challenges and greatest disunity in this country since APC came in.
"Let us resolve and come together and make sure that they don't come back to power in 2019 because you can't compare the achievements of APC and PDP. Every progress that was made under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration has also been wiped out by this APC government.
"I therefore wish to appeal to you to go back and mobilize your support in your homes and villages to make sure we kick this government out of power in Ondo and at the national level. I look forward to coming back after you would have given me your mandate to represent this party."
Earlier, Mr. Abubakar had visited Pa Reuben Fasonranti, formost leader of Afenifere, the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, at his residence to seek his support for his ambition.
Clement Faboyede, PDP Chairman in Ondo State, received Abubakar to the party's secretariat in Akure and advised him to reach out to all the delegates across the country so as to achieve his presidential ambiton.
Faboyede said the APC both in Ondo state and at the national level had failed the people, and asked them to vote the ruling party out of power by 2019.