The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday kicked off its national campaign for the 2019 general election in Sokoto State, for the North West zone of the country, with the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, declaring that the mission to rescue Nigerian has begun in Sokoto.

Addressing a mammoth crowd of jubilant supporters drawn from the seven states of the North West zone, Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa and Kaduna states at Shehu Kangiwa Square, Sokoto, Prince Secondus said that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the people woefully.

The National Chairman said that the PDP has chosen a credible and experienced Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abuabakar, and his running mate, Peter Obi, to lead the rescue mission.

According a statement from his media office signed by his Media Adviser Ike Abonyi, Prince Secondus, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council of the party, said that the performance record of the Presidential Candidate and his running mate is reassuring that Nigeria will be in good hands from 2019.

“Atiku has what it takes to turn the economy around, create jobs for our teeming youths and unite the country,” Secondus said.

He warned that Nigerians have turned their back on the APC and President Buhari as can be seen by the people of Sokoto and the North West states.

Prince Secondus warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the security agencies not to undermine this country by attempting to rig the election.

The highpoints of the rally was the presentation of the party flag to the Presidential Candidate, his running mate and the Sokoto sState gubernatorial candidate and the Governor of the state, Aminu Tambuwal.

Top PDP leaders from the zone, former presidential aspirants Rabiu Kwakwaso from Kano, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Ahmad Makarfi of Kaduna, Taminu Turaki of Kebbi were among others who addressed the rally.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and his Vice Namadi Sambo also addressed the crowd and urged them to dump APC because the PDP candidate has all the experience to turn the country around for good.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, said Nigeria should be grateful to democracy for providing the opportunity for the people to make changes when things are not going well.

He said that he and some other Nigerians fought for change in 2015 but have since realised that the change was not forthcoming, hence the decision to dump the APC for PDP.

The Senate President and the Director General of Campaign, Dr Bukola Saraki, urged the people of the North West to lead the way in the huge mission of rescuing the country.

One of the high points of the zonal rally was the prayer offered by Atiku at the grave side of the father of the Caliphate, Mallam Usman Dan Fodio. The prayer was symbolic as the tomb is hardly accessible even to incumbent presidents.