The former Vice President said he would prioritise developmental projects in the Southeast and other regions of the country
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar says he is the stepping stone Igbo people of Southeast Nigeria can use for one of them to become President.
Atiku, who stated this in Enugu on Tuesday, when met he with PDP stakeholders in the Southeast, said, "I am the stepping stone for Igbos to become President of Nigeria," adding that he would win the 2023 presidential election.
The former Vice President said he would prioritise developmental projects in the Southeast and other regions of the country, adding that any projects sited in any state of the federation are not a favour to the state but a favour to Nigeria.
"The second Niger bridge in Onitsha is not a favour to the Southeast, rather it is or should be seen as a favour to Nigeria. This is because it is not only the people of the Southeast that use the bridge," he said.
On his relationship with the Igbo ethnic nationality, the former Vice President said he has a close relationship with the Igbo people, which he said influenced his choices of Senator Ben Obi and Peter Obi as his running mates in his previous outings as a presidential candidate.
He added that he has chosen another Igbo (Ifeanyi Okowa) for the third time as his running mate.
"I have three Igbo children and I am saying this for the very first time in public."
Atiku listed five cardinal areas his administration would pay close attention to, which include tackling insecurity, and economic and other socio-political challenges bedevilling the country.
He said his first agenda would be to restore Nigeria's unity through cooperation, and the establishment of a strong and effective government that can guarantee the safety and security of lives and property.
Atiku promised to build a strong resilient and prosperous economy that creates jobs and lifts people out of poverty. He also promised to promote a true federal system that will have strong a federal government to create national unity while allowing the federating units to set up their own priorities such as state police.
Atiku’s running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa lamented that Nigeria had never been more polarised and disunited as it is under the ruling All Progressives Congress leadership.
Okowa said the only solution to the current insecurity and other problems facing Nigeria is for the PDP to win the next presidential election, to be headed by an experienced politician like Atiku Abubakar.
Okowa called on Igbo leaders to be bold in tackling the challenges facing the Southeast.
The PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Adolphus Wabara said the party would mobilise votes for it to win the presidential election.