Ahead of May 29th to 30th presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former minister of transportation and Presidential hopeful, Rotimi Amaechi has urged the party’s national delegates to vote massively for him, warning that voting otherwise will push the masses to the brink and spell breakup for Nigeria.
Amaechi made the observation on Monday during a parley with over 100 Katsina State APC national delegates in Government House Katsina with Governor Aminu Bello Masari in attendance.
The erstwhile minister and two time governor of Rivers State, who stressed that he had paid his dues in creating wealth for the masses through agriculture in Rivers and also supporting President Muhammadu Buhari, vowed to also ensure the survival of the nation.
He said: “If Nigeria does not move back to agriculture and move from agriculture to industrial and manufacturing (stage), we shall breakup. The breakup that you will see will be the poor versus the rich, it will not be Muslims versus Christians or the North versus South.
“We must build the economy to accommodate the poor. If we don’t accommodate the poor, we (the rich) will run away.”
Amaechi, flanked by former Chief of Army State, Retired Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, pledged to fight the insecurity and insurgency headlong, saying masses required just guarantee of their safety to pursue their various means of livelihood.
On politics, Amaechi said he defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC and was at the forefront to have Muhammad Buhari as president twice because he saw Nigeria at the brink of breakup or a possible civil war in 2015.
He told the delegates: “Since I stood for Nigeria, it’s time for you to stand for Nigeria. Islam is for justice not money just as Christianity does not recognize money, it recognizes God.”
Speaking on his legacies in Katsina State, Amaechi stated: “I was appointed as a minister and to my show gratitude, I brought a university to Daura. To show my gratitude, I brought railway to Daura and Katsina. So, why won’t you vote for me?”
Earlier, Gov. Masari, in his address, warned that all parts of Nigeria should be given a free and fair chance to pilot the nation’s affairs, saying “no one tribe, no one religion, no one group, no section has monopoly of wisdom over the other.”
He also urged all aspirants of the ruling party to be proud of the achievements of President Buhari and hailed Amaechi as “very hardworking, courageous person and certainly a friend of Katsina State.”
Meanwhile, the Katsina State APC national delegates also received on Tuesday former minister of Niger Delta Affairs and presidential aspirant under the platform of the party, Sen. GodswillAkpabio.
Governor Masari on Monday assured Akpabio, of his support in his quest to succeed President Muhamadu Buhari, who is an indigene of the state in 2023.
He stated this at the meeting of the presidential hopeful with APC delegates from the state.
According to him, “let me thank you for first acknowledging the achievements of the incumbent administration led by our son; President Muhamadu Buhari, Katsina and AkwaIbom States are twin. The Elder brother is completing his tenure and the Younger twin wants to succeed his Elder brother.”
He stated further that “if you talk of experience, exposure, credibility and capability, Akpabio has them. He is therefore, eminently qualified to be the president of this country.”
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, appealed to Akpabio to, “remember Katsina State after being elected the President of Nigeria Insha Allah.”
The presidential hopeful also visited the Emir of Katsina, His Royal Highness, AbdulmuminiKabirUsman, to formally intimate the Royal Father of his desire to succeed one of their illustrious sons as the President of Nigeria in 2023.
At the Emir’s Palace Akpabio thanked the Royal Father for receiving him and his entourage in the Palace and prayed for his success on the throne of his forebears with good health.
“We are to pay homage to our revered father. We are also here to formally inform you of one of your son’s aspiration to succeed another of your son, President Buhari, as the president of this great country in 2023. Above all, I am here to receive your fatherly blessings, as me and my team cress cross this country soliciting for support for the fulfillment of my ambition.
“Your Royal Majesty, I am running on my records and not on where I come from or the religion I profess. My records, when I was opportune to be the governor of AkwaIbom State from 2007-2015 are there for all to see. I have done it before and I can still do it for Nigeria, if given the opportunity”, Akpabio stated.
Speaking further the former governor of AkwaIbom State said, “My agenda for our country are in three folds, namely, fight against insecurity, uniting the country and improving on the economy. We will fight insecurity with technology. When there is security, investors will come in, jobs would be created and the living standards of the people will be enhanced. I want to bequeath Nigeria to my children. I am not desperate to be President of this country, but I am desperate to develop Nigeria.”
In his response, the Emir, welcome the presidential aspirant and his entourage to the Palace and prayed for his success at the polls, saying, ” I promise you with all my heart that this Emirate will pray for you. I will also help you to achieve your dream, Insha Allah. You have a lot of experience and we will support you Insha Allah.”
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), says Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.11 per cent in the first quarter of 2022.
This is according to the NBS Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report Q1 2022 released in Abuja on Monday.
According to the report, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 3.11 per cent year-on-year in real terms in the first quarter of 2022.
It said this showed a sustained positive growth for six consecutive quarters since the recession witnessed in 2020 when negative growth rates were recorded in quarter two and three of 2020.
The NBS said the first quarter 2022 growth rate further represents an improvement in economic performance.
“The observed trend since Q4 of 2020 is an indication of a gradual economic stability.
“The Q1 of 2022 growth rate was higher than the 0.51 per cent growth rate recorded in Q1 of 2021 by 2.60 per cent points and lower than 3.98 per cent recorded in Q4 of 2021 by 0.88 per cent points.
“Nevertheless, quarter-on-quarter, real GDP grew at -14.66 per cent in Q1 of 2022, compared to Q4 of 2021, reflecting a lower economic activity than the preceding quarter.’’
The report said in the period under review, aggregate GDP stood at about N45.317 million in nominal terms.
“This performance is higher when compared to the first quarter of 2021 which recorded aggregate GDP of about N40.014 million, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth rate of 13.25 per cent.
It said the nominal GDP growth rate in Q1 2022 was higher relative to the 12.25 per cent growth recorded in Q1 2021, and higher compared to the 13.11 per cent growth recorded in the preceding quarter.
