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Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has vowed to lead Nigeria out of darkness if elected in 2023.
Atiku said that he always nursed the desire to create abundant opportunities for people, adding that there was nothing he enjoyed doing like making people rich.
The former Vice President said this while rolling out his economic plans for the country at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.
Atiku also urged Nigerians not to be swayed by political slogans.
He said political propaganda on social media is not a substitute for proper social, economic, and political agenda.
He said, “In all my endeavours, whether as a businessman or as a public officer, I have always natured the desire to create abundant opportunities for people and enhance their capability so that they live a happy, healthy, productive life. There is nothing I enjoy, like making you rich
“When I create opportunity, I don’t envy and I don’t jealous. Creating economic opportunities for Nigerians will represent significant implications for social cohesion and national security. Economic prosperity is an integral part of my five-point agenda, soon to be officially unveiled that seeks to restore Nigeria’s unity, strengthen national security to foster economic prosperity, and education for delivery and restructuring. My government will take strategic steps to heal and rebuild the economy of our dreams. I will lead Nigeria out of darkness.”
Atiku also decried the state of Nigeria’s economy saying the Federal Government is dressing the country in borrowed robes
He said, “For the first time in Nigeria’s history, the Federal Government paid more in debt service than it earned by spending more than 100 percent of its revenue for debt service. Nigeria is breaching one of the applicable debt sustainability thresholds. The APC-led government is dressing Nigeria in borrowed robes,” he restated.
“Nigeria’s GDP grew at an average rate of less than 1% since the APC assumed power in 2015. Compare this with an average growth of 6.5% in seven years earlier. For capital income, a measure of citizens’ well-being has progressively fallen since 2015 because of declining output and a fast-growing population. Nigerians are worse off today than they were in 2015.
“Job loss, declining purchasing power of per capita income and lack of citizens access to basic amenities have pushed more than 90 million people below the poverty line and created more misery for the poor in towns and villages.”
He maintained that Nigeria has been broke since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015.