The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar granted the Hausa Service of the Voice of America (VOA) at the Washington DC office of the station as part of his campaign team visit to the US. The interview was anchored by the Head of the section, Aliyu Mustapha Sokoto).
Atiku's visit to the US is to engender a strong understanding and strengthen our relationship with the American government, particularly on the issues pertaining the forthcoming elections in Nigeria, so that it (the US) weighs-in and ensure that the elections are rancour free, transparent, peaceful and acceptable to the people of Nigeria.
Atiku said "there three or four main issues. First, to ensure peaceful elections and transition, honestly and in conformity with the subsisting electoral laws. Two, to ensure that there is cooperation and understanding between Nigerian politicians so as to engender a hitch free electoral exercises. If you recall, not long ago, we met and agreed to a violence free pact during the elections. These were some of the things we deliberated on with the American authorities."
VOA Hausa: There are reports that are insinuating that with your visit here, the US government is poised to back your bid to become the next President in Nigeria? Is this true?
He also said reports that the US Government poised to back his bid to become the next Nigerian President, It is not true. If you recall, during the last election (in 2019), I also visited America. And, my coming didn’t make me win the election. I lost. So, these talks are just the wishes of people.
Atiku have outlined a five point agenda of God wills that I become the President. "My first priority will be to unite the country. As it is now, Nigeria has challenges regarding unification in terms of ethnicity, religion and other issues. I pledge to work to address these issues in order to ensure that the country is one.
Atiku's second promise is to tackle the issue of insecurity. Our security architecture has a number of challenges. Our focus will be to put it back on track.
Three, economic recovery. Four, we will work to revitalize the development of education. As we are all aware, our universities were closed for about eight months. We pledge that such incidents won’t recur again under our watch. Indeed, we will make budgetary provisions to the education sector.
Five, we have made a pledge that we will empower states and local governments to be autonomous.