2019: Atiku weeps, secures PDP presidential forms

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Friday shed tears over what he said was the state of affairs in the country.

The former vice president wept when members of Atiku Support Groups presented the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential forms which they bought at the PDP national secretariat.

The groups had bought the forms at the cost of N12million for Atiku and presented it to him at his campaign office in Abuja.

The former vice president however broke down in tears after a member of Atiku Support Groups, Princess Adekemi Adesanya, lamented the state of affairs in the country. She had decried the state of poverty and unemployment in the country.

While she spoke, Atiku wiped away tears with a white handkerchief much to the consternation of his supporters.

One of his associates consoled him by tampering him on the back to stop crying.

Addressing his supports however, Atiku said since his almost three decades of my political career this year, yesterday was the most emotional day.

He said: “The event today is significant, is historic because this is the only time in my political career that young men and women in this country have come together without my knowledge or even consent contribute their own hard earned money to buy me a Nomination form and Expression of interest ‎form.

“But you could have seen one of the people who spoke, the lady who spoke virtually succeeded in getting me to weep. This is because she aptly described the challenges every nigerian is facing in this country today and she believed honestly and sincerely from the bottom of her heart that I could be an instrument of addressing those challenges.

“And believe me, addressing those challenges‎ are possible because we have brought young men and women, Nigerians who have got the talents, who have got the education, who have git the experience, who have got all what it takes to honestly turn this country around.

“But putting together such talented ‎young Nigerians requires leadership and it is that leadership we have not been fortunate enough to have on a consistent basis as that this country as that this country can take its rightful position in Africa and indeed the world.

“So, for such a woman to believe that I have got those leadership qualities and including those of you who have brought out your monies to by this form is one of the most serious challenges I have ever faced in my political career.

“It is not that it is not doable, it is doable and I think together we can do it. So ladies and gentle men, I want to make an undertaking and I hope we get that opportunity to work together so that this undertaking of mine can be achieved because I alone cannot achieve that undertaking,” he said.

He however noted that all hands must be on deck to turn around the country from its current state just as he assured that he will provide jobs with the support of the youths.

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja