Atiku Abubakar and Najeem Salaam. Photo credit: Atiku | X

Ex-Vice President Abubakar Atiku on Monday rallied the electorate in Osun State for the candidate of the African Democratic Congress in next Saturday’s governorship poll in Osun State, declaring that the party currently has the best of Nigerians.

Atiku, who spoke in Osogbo, Osun State, at the grand finale of the governorship campaign of the party, noted the consistent support of the Osun electorate for him in past elections.

The ADC presidential candidate, while appealing to the electorate in the state to support Salaam, said they wouldn’t regret supporting the former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly in the poll.

“This is the fourth time I am standing on this podium. Each time I stood here, you have given me your vote. I cannot forget that because your daughter is in my house. I came here for the current governor and I told you people to support him and you voted him.

“I came here on my presidential campaign, you voted for me and you defeated Bola Ahmed Tinubu. For me, I can’t forget that. I have come today to appeal to you again to vote ADC. This is because ADC is different from APC, Accord and other political parties.

“That is because the best of Nigerians are today in ADC. So I have come and I am appealing to you to vote for ADC in the next governorship election. I believe you will not regret voting ADC in the coming governorship election.

“That is why I have come personally to thank you for you previous support and to appeal to you to vote ADC in the next gubernatorial elections. I thank you very much for your turnout which is quite impressive and that has given us optimism that the next elections we are going to win, you are going to win,” Atiku said.

Earlier, the ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, described the campaign as a celebration of the impending victory of the party in Saturday’s poll.

He charged ADC members in the state to participate in the election and protect their votes.

He further said, “What we are here to do is celebrate the victory that we are going to come to the ADC on Saturday. Our Presidential candidate is here with us, and this shows the love he has for this party.

“By the time we swear in Najeem Salam in November, we will be here again to march with you to the government house. On Saturday, protect your votes. Don’t allow anybody to rig you out. They will not rig and get away with it.”

Highlighting some of his plans if elected governor, the Osun ADC governorship candidate, Salaam, disclosed plans to revitalise the energy sector to provide regular electricity, stating that the electorate in the state would not allow electoral malfeasance under any guise.

“If we win the election, I want to tell you that our electricity will be stable. We have a solution to that and it is a promise. On Saturday, nobody will be allowed to rig us out. What they did in Ekiti State will not happen here.

“Education from the primary to the secondary school for our children will be free and we will also ensure that we have a committee that will review the tuition fees in our higher institutions with a plan to bring it down.

“Children from age 1 to 18 will have access to free medical treatment in well equipped government hospital. Our pregnant women will have free treatment. Our elders and widows will be taken care of. In our first 100 days, we will employ 20,000 youths. The farmers should know that we will empower them and do the needful,” Salaam said in Yoruba language.

Welcoming the participants to the rally, the ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, said the party was not in alliance with any party regarding the Osun governorship poll, saying if offered inducement to vote, members of the party could accept it, but must vote for their preferred party.

He stated that the ADC is the only party in the country that has embraced late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s approach to governance and charged the electorate to come out on election day and vote for the party.

Aregbesola described the party’s candidate in Osun as the face of continuity, noting that Salaam’s agenda includes re-establishing O’YES to employ 20,000 youths, reviving the O’MEALS school feeding programme, expanding mechanised agriculture, and investing in rural infrastructure and technology.

“This election is about the future of Osun. Quality education, youth opportunities, farmer prosperity, and a government that truly serves the people,” Aregbesola said.

Chieftains of ADC at the rally included ex-Borno State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Kashim Imam; ex-Minister for Police Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Waziri; Senator Austin Akobondu; ex-Ondo PDP governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN); ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi; ADC National Legal Adviser, Prof. Osahereme Osunbor; and ADC National Vice Chairman, South West, Akin Omole, among others.