 Atikhu to flag off presidential campaign in Aqaibom on Monday, and APC's presidential campaign council still receiving imputes, party is to release the lease by weekend. This is Plus Politics, my name is Nyamgul Agadjid, thanks for joining us. The Director-General of the People's Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Amino Tamboel, has said the PDP standard bearer, former Vice President Atikhu Abu Bakar, will flag off his campaign next Monday in Oyo, the Aqaibom state capital. According to Tamboel, the PDP will campaign based on issues affecting the country, adding that Atikhu is well prepared to provide the required leadership. Tamboel made the revelation in Abuja on Tuesday at a press conference after the inspection of Atikhu's campaign offers. He said the campaign of his party is going to be issue-based, adding that the candidate of the PDP is presenting in 2023 are providing solutions with their plans. Joining us live to discuss this is Borono Basi, PDP publicity secretary at Aqaibom state. We're glad to have you join us on the program, Mr. Basi. Good evening to you, good evening to you as you're good to be here. Okay. Well, now we can say finally the campaign is kicking off formally. How prepared are you to carry out this campaign? Thank you very much. It's good to be here once again. For us in Aqaibom state and for us as the people's democratic party in Nigeria, we're very prepared for the flag off of the campaign which is scheduled to begin, said to hold in New York, the Aqaibom state capital of Monty. Now the interesting thing about this campaign to be flagged of in New York is the fact that right from the return of democracy in Nigeria, Aqaibom state has been privileged to be led or be governed by people who are against by the people's democratic party in Nigeria. The Nigerians are coming to Aqaibom state capital for, for us for them to actually tell Nigeria and the message to Nigeria that the infrastructure, the expansive infrastructure, the, the, the development that has been erected by the PDP government in Aqaibom state is possible for us to replicate that in Nigeria. And for us the message is going to be, for us in the sense of excellence is the presidential candidate of a party, Al-Hajji, Aqqaibom, I had promised and the Nigerian, you know, turn around in terms of the economy, in terms of the governance, you know, that, you know, from what we are experiencing now. And that promise is be sealed into his tender or covenant statement with the Nigerians. And then we're expecting that when Nigerians shall gather, when the whole of the attention of Nigerians shall be focused in real Aqaibom state and we shall be telling that the tax is right for us to take our destinies into our hands and then return the PDP back to the national level so that we can build and rescue this country, this economy that has been so past, that has been so, that has been, that has been so past the time by the APC government. Are you saying that's what informed the choosing of Aqaibom state to be where this campaign is going to be flagged off, that Aqaibom has done well for the people and that is what you want to showcase to the entire Nigerians or there are other reasons why they're flagging off, or you are flagging off this campaign in the U.S. Yes, you heard me correctly, the truth has reminded that since the return of democracy in 1999, Aqaibom state has been established, Aqaibom people have chosen to stay with the people's democratic party. And that choice has brought a lot of development strife for the people. And so the choice, I said that the choice of U.S. as the venue for the flag of, the future of the flag of the PDP campaigns is very up, because the truth is, even in the past seven and a half years, the man whom we have been privileged to lead us is excellent in Mr. Dunimanua has erected various pillars of development across the critical sectors of the state's economy. And so when we get back to you on Monday, we shall be telling Nigerians that what the PDP has done in Aqaibom state is possible for us to and you know, his excellence, I think, is gentleman who is prepared and has the political will to lead this nation at this critical moment. And you know, he's promised, you know, in reason to some of the things he has said, you know, things he emerged, you know, as the presidential candidate of a party, said that to restore Nigeria's economy back to the pre-215th level, Nigeria was a three-card strong-dead economy, with a of 546.7 billion. And he also, he's also promised to strengthen Nigeria's educational system and also equip our students with skills needed to be competitive in the new level of order driven by innovation, times, and technology, and all the other things that he promised. And so we're hoping that Nigerians will be prepared at this time to take their destiny with their hands and then say, never again shall go, you know, in the direction that we shall move forward with the PDP as we march towards rescuing this nation from the pangs of insecurity from the pangs of the governance, which this nation has, unfortunately, been to. OK, well, we will go back to the, or come back to the person of Atikua, Abu Bakar, later on. But now you're going into this campaign, it's starting on Monday. Yet we hear that PDP seems to be going into this campaign as a divided house. We can also have feelings that the meeting between the, your principal and the wiki camp, as we have known them, the big five or whatever name they call, they are calling themselves right now. Ended in deadlock. So how do you think you're going to succeed when your house is divided or have you resolved all the all the differences? Let us have that inside information into that. Well, for Nigerians who have been following the little misunderstanding that we've had as a party, they would also come to a group that were making very, very, very commendable steps in trying to resolve these issues. And don't forget that the particularity of our party, you know, has been that we've always had a way to sit on the table and then see how we can talk about these issues and resolve these issues. So the series of meetings that we've had, although, you know, we're trying to also arrive at the consensus that it was all the party meetings that we've had shows that we're making efforts. And I assure you that in the days to come, in the days to come that we will come back together and then all the kids issues to address all the people who, who people who feel agreed at first time, you know, will come together so that together can face the patriotic call by Nigerians for us to come and rescue this nation. Well, you sound very, very confident in the PDP in resolving issues. And this also was how PDP sounded very confident before the 2015 election, the biggest political party, the biggest these and that and that you're going to be in office for, you're going to be in power for about 50 years or above. And still, you couldn't make any headway from 2015 till now. Do you think this confidence is enough to give you the edge over the other parties, especially the party, the ruling party right now? Well, for all of them as a part of all these people spoken and the message I'm clear that as the party, we have learned lessons, you know, when we left power at the national level in 2015. And so those lessons are very fresh in our memories. And then for us, what we intend to do as a stand, and you know, you would agree with me that the fact we have not, we're not telling people who are genuine grievances off that, you know, we need all the people to, and you know, it will interest you to know that as a party that has, you know, that has the name people, meaning its name, people have been our stress that what people have been our course of strength. And so we cannot, we cannot, as we must, we cannot tell them off. And so that's why we're meeting. We're trying to reach out to everyone. You see the presidential candidate trying to meet with people, trying to see how we can, you know, get everyone on the table so that together we can match forward. And so this is not about nothing considered as the fact that we're making effort to ensure that together we move together and, you know, say the patriotic duty that Nigeria are hoping for. Okay. What are these main issues that you intend to address in the course of the campaign? I do not want to go back to the issues you are trying to address why you have these factions in the first place. But in the course of this campaign, like the president has said, he has begged practically every politician to make sure that the campaigns are issue-based. What are these issues that PDP will be bringing to the front burner during the course of this campaign? Well, the infinity election for us from the blinders that we've seen it is going to be a referendum on, you know, the direction on where Nigeria and where Nigeria go in 20th. And so for us, as the party, as the presidential candidate of our party is excellent, has promised. And I know those promises have led several to Nigeria. And those promises have been filled into a political document in my covenant with Nigeria. And by way of presenting you with some overview of that one, he's promised that he's going to address the vexed issue of the structure. And, you know, it is the belief of our party and the belief of our presidential candidate collectively. We do believe that if we make some of the, you know, focus of the federal government, as from what it's currently looking at now, and try to strengthen, you know, the center and then also give powers to the other tiers of government, that the priorities, that the other priority areas are addressed for the collective progress of this nation. And I'm going to go back in that document has also promised to promote strong, effective democratic government to guarantee safety of lives and properties. Of course, you would agree with me that never at a time, never has there been a time in our nation, in the history of our nation, as you know, these, that our country has been so overwhelmed by insecure, with functions of the state, used not by bandits, in foreign separatism, he's promised to ensure that he promotes an effective democratic government to guarantee the safety of properties of, you know, Nigerians. And he's also promised to build a dynamic economy, building that they call the collective prosperity. And then also provide qualitative education and all of those other properties. And so we're trusting that the Nigerians will trust us like they did prior to 2015, prior to 2015, so that together we can work together, you know, into a new Nigeria, which together we can prosper together. Okay. All of us desire a new Nigeria. This is a final question to you. All of us desire a new Nigeria, but almost everything we suffer in Nigeria has been tied to corruption, corruption in the education sector, corruption, even in security, corruption everywhere. And when you talk about Attiku as being tested and trusted, someone who has brought so many gains to Nigeria, the Nigerian people wonder what you really mean. Because his closest examiner, who was his employer, I said, where, the former president, Olusio-Gomobasanjo, doesn't seem to see him as someone who is trustworthy. So if the rest of us were just looking on and the person who knew him more than everybody else says he's not trustworthy, why should Nigerians now trust him to carry the mantle and carry us to the Promised Land? Well, the truth remains that I'm excellent in the Attiku of Bobakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP, who will be coming to the job as president in Nigeria, God's willing, and with the support and massive Nigerians in 2023, with, you know, a track record of which handled the economy of this nation, you know, and the administration who was part of, handled the economy of this nation between the years of 1999 and 2007, should actually rely on the indices that we have on ground. And how, and the question that Nigerians, you know, are asking themselves, for those, for all the millions, millions, hundreds of millions of Nigerians who supported the Attiku candidate, in the fact that how did we fare when, you know, during the years of 1999 and 2000, Attiku was vice president. How did we fare under that administration? And this is a critical question that, you know, that has informed the massive love and the massive acceptance that the Excellencies, Attiku Bobakar, eventually have built, you know, is getting. Because the truth is, we must get to a point in this country where we talk about track records. We look at what happened when you were on the saddle. And so, although I would not, you know, try to you know, try to question the remarks by the Excellency President Yoloshio Gunobata, the truth is the indices that when we go back, when we look back at where we've come from, from 1999 to 2000, especially those years, when the Excellency Attiku Bobakar said that vice president and was actively, you know, involved in managing the economy of this nation, we would actually agree as the that we were better off. And so, he will be coming to the job, but God willing, in 2023, and with the support of Nigerians, with the benefit of those experiences, the political, and of course, the world of experience, it cannot all through the year. Justin, well, in the coming weeks, in the coming days, Nigerians will be interrogating his personality, his integrity, and every other thing. This is just a peep into what people might be asking, but we're concerned, you have so much confidence, but there seem to be not just the ruling all-progressive Congress that you have to contend with, there seem to be a third force that is coming up. Are you threatened by this third force? Well, to be honest with you, as a party, the PDP is not really present, even the history and the journey that we've had with the key players in the third force. Recall that somewhere when there was a time, you know, in the history of this nation, you know, when the key players, when some members of the key players of this third force make decisions to, were actually members of a party, and they had so much belief in this and in the ability and the political with the experience level of his excellency Atikwabubaka to meet an administration of collective prosperity and economic growth. And so it puts to question, you know, the fact that at this point, you know, they have decided to break away and form a third force, these actually, you know, they concern that people who have said analogically enough and would ask the right questions, you know, would actually believe that this is actually the direction to go. Okay, well, we hope to still talk to you some of the time and ask you how you're faring so far, but for now this is the much we can take from you and would like to thank you for being a part of our show today. We know that your schedule is very tight now, especially now that you're preparing for the flag of. Thank you so much for coming on the show. Yeah, thank you very much. I'd like to also use this platform to invite all Nigerians to use the appointment date completely on Monday and that event, you know, on the next of champions and I also invite you so that we expect for you to be on ground so that you can get to, you know, from the mouth of the presidential candidates of our party. All right, thank you so much. Well, thank you for staying with us. We'll take a short break now and when we return the APC is yet to flag off its campaign. We'll be talking about that. Stay with us.