Ahead of Nigeria’s next year’s general elections, the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has vowed to conquer poverty in Nigeria if elected in 2023.
Tinubu, who made the promise at the Town Hall meeting of the South-South region in Calabar, Cross River, yesterday, said he would deploy all the human and material resources God had bestowed on the country to move it out of poverty.
The former Lagos governor decried the slow pace of growth and development in the country, adding that his administration would turn around the fortune of the country.
He said education remained the greatest tool to fight poverty, noting that each state of the federation was blessed with abundant natural resources, all of which he pledged would be deployed in changing the fortunes of the country.
He, however, pointed out that in doing that, there was the need for people to remain united and stop the destruction of what God had deposited in the country to enhance its greatness.
‘My quest to progressively drive Nigeria forward is the only reason I am running; no other person is running with me. Those who say they are running have no iota of honesty in them; they can’t keep to their promises, all they are interested in is to insult me and yet, they don’t have facts. I am a wrestler, but I don’t wrestle with just anybody, my only concern is to move Nigeria forward,’ he said.
He promised to unite Nigerians in order to ensure steady growth and progress.
‘Moving Nigeria forward is a task that must be done, and anger, division, breaking apart will not solve it; it can only be achieved by being together. Let us conquer hunger rather than allowing hunger to conquer us. So, let’s come together and make great wealth for the nation and our people,’ he said.
The presidential candidate said that Cross River had the potential to be the tourism hub of Africa.
Speaking earlier, Governor Ben Ayade stressed the need for the country to go back to agriculture, if the desire to conquer hunger must be achieved.
Ayade expressed the regret that with its vast land, Nigeria had not attained its full potential, particularly in the area of agriculture.
‘It is a pity that we are just using our huge cocoa to import poverty, because we don’t have the industry to add value to the produce. The same with our huge bitumen deposit, because we import bitumen used for road construction. This is why I say that Tinubu is being summoned by God to come and change Nigeria’s narrative. He did it in Lagos when he conquered the Atlantic Ocean. He also did many other great things in the state and I am optimistic that he will replicate same in Nigeria, if elected president,’ Ayade said.
Meanwhile, Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari assured the Tinubu would not Islamise Nigeria if elected president.