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The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, has once again stormed various markets in Lagos to drum up support for the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, whom he praised as possessing the necessary credentials to address the nation’s economic situation if voted into power.
At a series of stopovers in the various markets visited, Obi carpeted the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government over the country’s mounting debt profile that he said the current government had incurred in the last three years.
Addressing traders of the various market organisations in Lagos on Monday, Obi stated that the ruling party had once again dragged the nation into the debt trap as the country was currently servicing the various debts to the tune of 60 per cent of the country’s budget.
The vice presidential hopeful had in company of the PDP’s governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, his Running Mate, Mrs. Haleemat Oluyemi Busari, and other prominent party members addressed Igbo-speaking traders, urging them to cast their lots with the PDP.
Some of the markets visited by the PDP team included the popular Trade Fair, ASPAMDA, as well as the Alaba International Electronics Market, where the traders closed their shops in honour of the visiting team as well as the facility’s 40th anniversary celebration.
Obi stated that the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government had demonstrated crass incompetence in the management of the nation’s economy, saying, Nigeria had fared unhealthily in all economic indices in the last four years.
To reverse the situation, the former Anambra State Governor called on Nigerians to vote for the Atiku Abubakar/Peter Obi ticket, saying, as successful businessmen, the duo had demonstrated competence as private citizens, which qualified them to manage the country.
“We have in place, a government peopled by those who have never done anything productively. We have a government whose officials don’t know how to manage the economy. I am a trader, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is a trader. My brother, Jimi Agbaje, too is a successful trader; so, you are in safe hands.
“The question we should ask them is? What have they done in terms of business profitability before they came into governance? All of us are successful businessmen, Atiku has so many companies. I am a manager of so many companies employing thousands of people. Their lack of business acumen has led the country back into the debt trap.”
He however promised that a PDP-led government would do all in its powers to ensure the business environment remained friendly for entrepreneurs to thrive, as only this could develop the country.
