Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, has told the presidential candidate of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to start getting ready to be sworn-in as the next president of Nigeria next year.
Gatekeepers News reports that Adamu spoke at the Town Hall meeting held in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Thursday, between the APC candidate and stakeholders in the mining sector.
Adamu, however, explained that he was merely reechoing President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement, emphasising that; “except God, President Buhari is the highest authority in Nigeria today. Buhari has said it and it shall come to pass.”
The statement issued by Director, Media & Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, further disclosed that the APC boss, who urged Tinubu to stand and the audience to join him, declared that; “the APC candidate will be the next president.”
He urged voters, not only in Nasarawa, but also in the adjoining states, to vote massively for the party and its candidate, charging; “Tinubu to get ready for the task to shoulder the demands of leading Nigeria.”
Speaking during the townhall meeting, the former Lagos State governor promised to adopt issue-based campaign, full completion, operation of Ajaokuta Steel Company and development of solid mineral sector.
He equally promised to prioritise the resuscitation of the nation’s economy through the development of the solid mineral sector, stating that the nation is richly blessed and can cater for itself.
“We shall allow the desperate, devoid-of-substance campaigns of others engage in divisive identity politics and the promotion of untruths and ugly rumours.
“We, the APC, shall continue to stand before the Nigerian people to discuss the real issues of the day and offer insight into the policy solutions we intend to deploy to solve them. In this, we remain the best and only hope for progressive good governance in Nigeria.
“Few nations are as well-endowed as Nigeria, given our industrious, energetic population and our vast inventory of land, water and natural resources. Our beloved nation has abundant, commercially viable solid mineral deposits such as coal, limestone, iron ore, bitumen, lead, zinc, gold and a variety of gemstones.
“It is the obligation of government to use these gifts wisely to benefit the nation and improve the living standards of the average Nigerian,” he said.
Rolling out his plans for the sector, Tinubu promised to make the Ajaokuta Steel Company fully operational again, assuring that the sector would contribute more to the nation’s economy by building the GDP.
“We seek to turn this economy into a more active engine of growth, productivity, jobs and income. We seek to establish a broad-based economy that ensures broadly-shared prosperity for all.
“Solid minerals and mining will play key roles in our campaign toward prosperity and our economic offensive against poverty and underdevelopment.
“The solid minerals sector contributed less than 1 per cent to our GDP in 2020. We need to increase this amount every year. My administration will develop the solid minerals sector, establishing policies that will encourage investment for growth in that sector.
“My administration will ensure the full completion and operation of the Ajaokuta Steel Company under a viable Public-Private Partnership structure,” he added.
He equally said his administration would enact legislative reforms and forge strategic partnerships with private sector investors with requisite skills and proven capacity to support investment in the mining sector.
On agro-processing, Tinubu said that; “my government will continue the progress and, in particular, shall focus on expanding the development of agro-industry to boost domestic food production and enable our farmers and industrialists to add value to their products.
“My agricultural policy encompasses the creation of storage facilities, affordable farm loans and mortgages, creation of modern agricultural hubs in each geopolitical zone amid other measures.”
In his welcome address, Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, said that Tinubu’s engagement with the mining community would also afford the opportunity to know the economic potentials of State in mining and agricultural. The Governor listed 20 solid minerals in commercial quantity in the state which include lead, gold, Barite, mable, and zinc among others.
“I thank Asiwaju Tinubu for visiting our states and our people have always wanted to see you to ask you questions and you are here to answer their questions.
The well-attended town hall session had in attendance the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, Governor Simon Lalong and Director-General of Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Governor of Kastina, Aminu Bello Masari, Governor of Borno, Professor Babagana Zulum, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, former Governor of Nasarawa State and Chairman, Senate Committee on Mines and Solid Minerals, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, APC National Working Committee members, Emir of Lafia and Chairman of Nasarawa Council of Chiefs, HRH Hon. Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad, APC NWC and PCC members and major players in the mining industry and agro-processing sector.
