The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said that when elected, he will make Kano a leading commercial centre in the country.
Speaking at the PDP presidential campaign rally in Kano State on Thursday, Atiku said his government will make agriculture a priority in the state.
He said: “We are pleased to meet with you today and we cannot believe that you are so many and in thousands supporting PDP. We have known that Kano is PDP. We thank you for coming out in your numbers to support us.
“Kano has always been the centre of commerce in Nigeria. When PDP returns to power, we will make sure that Kano becomes a leading commercial centre in the country.
“We shall open the borders. We shall also ensure that Kano state is secured so that you can do your businesses without fear.
“The people of Kano are also known for farming. So if you elect me, I will support the agricultural sector and improve on the business activities of the people. We will make Agriculture a priority.”
Atiku also revealed what his government will do when elected, reinstating that he will set some funds aside for youths and women to receive loans to set up their small and medium scale business enterprises for self-employment.
“We shall provide road infrastructure that will link Kano to all the neighbouring states. We will make sure that university lecturers are paid so that our children will continue to go to school.
“I have also pledged to set some funds aside for youths and women to receive loans to set up their small and medium business enterprises for self-employment,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of PDP Campaign Council and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, urged Kano people to reject All Progressives Congress, APC, adding that they shouldn’t be deceived by their money.
He said: “Reject those people (APC). Don’t be deceived by their money. It is the money they are supposed to use to provide security that they stashed. They want to use it to buy votes.
“You can see the level of in-fighting in APC. They have plans to hack the INEC server. They want to make Kano and indeed, North-West the dumping ground of their illicit money. Take their money and reject them.”
The National Chairman of PDP, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, who also spoke, said that most of the laws formulated by the APC are to make the people suffer.
He said: “Since that party came, they have not thought of anything that will benefit the poor. They always formulate laws that will make the people suffer. Today we have hunger, insecurity; people are being killed, there is no petrol anywhere.
“They brought another problem, they changed the currency. We did not tell them to change the currency but they did it themselves. They have not thought how it will affect the poor. But we the PDP will come to rescue the Nigeria.”