Traditional rulers in the country have been assured of a place in the scheme of things if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is voted into office next year.
The pledge was made by Atiku on Wednesday in Osogbo at the continuation of the party’s state to state campaign tour of the country.
Prior to the rally, Atiku had met with a broad spectrum of stakeholders at a town hall meeting held at the Atlantis Civic Center, Osogbo.
Atiku had first dropped the hint of his policy proposal of a constitutional role for monarchs at Ede on Tuesday when he led his campaign on a courtesy visit to the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Lawal.
Hours later at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, venue of the presidential campaign rally, the former Vice President reiterated his undertaking to the regents in the country.
He told ecstatic spectators at the park that he would “explore the possibility of carving out constitutional roles for the traditional institution to assist in governance, if I am elected.”
“As you all know, as the Wazirin Adamawa, I am a stakeholder in this project of proposing to engage our royal fathers in assisting the government to run the affairs of the country,” Atiku said, while promising “to institute a special programme for historical cities like Ile- Ife to be upgraded to world-class cities so as to boost their tourism potentials.”
Congratulating the people of Osun State for making the wise choice of electing Senator Ademola Adeleke as Governor, the PDP presidential candidate, who described the Governor as “public spirited and competent”, further assured them that he would work closely with him to bring dividends of democracy to the state if he is elected.
“If elected I will help Governor Adeleke to overcome the many enormous challenges he inherited from the APC-led government. Rest assured, I will walk this talk with the good people of Osun State,” he emphasized.
On insecurity in the rural areas of the state, Atiku promised to rejig the national security architecture to address it locally and nationwide, just as he undertook to rehabilitate federal roads, linking the state to its neighbors, some of which are in deplorable conditions and almost impassable.
He also reiterated his promise to source $10 billion to ameliorate the condition of the vulnerable in the society, particularly youth and women.
In her remarks, the wife of the candidate, Hajiya Titi Atiku Abubakar, who is also an indigene of Osun state urged the people of the state not to tie beads in the waist of another person’s daughter.
“As you all voted for Governor Adeleke, please vote for my husband,” Hajiya Titi pleaded.
“He is your father. He is the one that knows the road. If you vote for him, Osun and Nigeria will be a better place for all of us.
“My husband is a Fulani man. But he is not a killer Fulani man. He is a unifier under whose control there will be no Boko Haram and kidnappings,” Hajiya Titi who said she’ll replicate her feat of using her NGO: Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) to better the life of women and children if her husband succeeds, noted.
The PDP Presidential candidate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state told people of the state that,
“Now ensure that you come out in greater numbers to vote for PDP and Atiku.”
Similarly, the Chairman of the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council (APCO), Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state, recalled that Osogbo, Osun state capital, used to be electricity generation hub and pledged that, this, among many other things that went wrong under APC misrule, would be restored.
Also, the Director General of the APCO, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state urged the people to vote for Atiku and the PDP.
“I expect you, as people of conscience, to repeat that feat and vote for Atiku and PDP.
Earlier in his address, Governor Adeleke had urged his supporters:
“As you stood by me, do so for Atiku. He is experienced. He is the best. He is also a good manager of the economy,” the Governor said.
