The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday began its final push to take the presidency from President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A Northwest rally was held in Kaduna, the first public rally by the APC presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, since the elections were postponed.
The polls billed for February 14 and 28 were shifted by six weeks. They will now hold on March 28 and April 11.
At the rally, Gen. Buhari vowed not to probe previous governments, if he is elected.
The venue of the rally was changed at the last minute, as the Kaduna State Government prevented the APC from using the state-owned Murtala Square.
The rally was shifted to the permanent site of the Kaduna International Trade and Investments Centre along Zaria road.
However, the crowd at the centre created a heavy traffic along the ever-busy Kaduna/Kano highway as the candidate struggled through the heavy traffic to get to the venue.
An official of the APC in the state and a member of the Media and publicity of the APC campaign, Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, told The Nation when asked why they were refused the use of the Square, that “they said it is security reasons”.
Buhari arrived the venue of the rally at about 4.30pm in an open coastal box, clad in a sky blue babariga accompanied by a large number of supporters who had to walk for about four kilometres to the venue of the rally.
The Presidential candidate of the APC promised not to probe any past leader but will allow the judicial process to run its full course in all cases relating to corruption.
According to Gen. Buhari, anyone who embezzles even a single kobo afterwards, will not only be made to refund it, but will face prosecution as from May 29, 2015 if he becomes president. He lamented the high level of corruption in the PDP-led administration.
Gen. Buhari, a former Head of State, reminded the crowd that public treasury belongs to the entire citizen and it should be used to improve the wellbeing of the people by providing good health care delivery, improving the education sector and power among others.
The presidential candidate urged APC members and stakeholders to vote for all the party’s candidates. He told them not to be deceived by the admonitions of PDP elements who are preaching selective voting in the different strands of the election.
"They have been in power for 16 years and yet they want us to hand them another four years. At the end of the four years that they are seeking for, they would have spent 20 years in power and we would have been so dehumanized that that we can’t even recognize each other," Buhari pointed out.
The APC candidate lamented that industries have collapsed and the few ones that are still operating are doing so at a huge cost owing to lack of electricity, adding that ‘’almost all small businesses have folded up."
Professor Yemi Osibanjo, Buhari's running mate, also spoke in Hausa when he admonished APC supporters to vote the party’s candidates all the way. "APC sak, APC sak, APC sak", he said and the crowd chorused after him.
Gen. Buhari and his entourage held a rally from Constitution road, through Independence way, before branching off to Ali Akilu way. The entourage inched its way slowly to Kawo, with Gen. Buhari and Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso waving supporters from the open roof of his Sports Utility Vehicle.
Dignitaries that graced the occasion included National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; North West Vice Chairman, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir; Governor Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto State and Governor Abdul Azeez Yari of Zamfara State. Governorship candidates of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El Rufai; Kebbi State Senator Atiku Bagudu; Kano State Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and Katsina State Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari were present.
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