The National Chairman of the Peoples Trust, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), the party’s presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, alongside other chieftains of the party have promised to restore Nigeria’s lost glory.
They spoke at the commencement of the party’s presidential campaign in Abuja on Saturday.
The event, which was held at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja also featured the presentation of party flags to the candidates of the party at all levels.
The party leaders promised to rescue the nation from “the current state of hopelessness, insecurity and youth unemployment.”
In his address, Agbakoba said progressive forces in the country had resolved to work for Olawepo-Hashim’s success in the forthcoming presidential election.
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“We took a resolute decision to form this movement we are seeing today. We have reunited under a broad platform called Third Force and by God’s grace and power, we will win. Let us go together,” he said.
Citing how progressive forces fought the military to a standstill, he said they had resolved to change the current order by electing Olawepo-Hashim as President.
Olawepo-Hashim also decried the security challenges currently facing the country, specifically the fact that 11 out of 19 Northern states were experiencing security challenges.
He said, “This is a turning point in the history of Nigeria. We are at a point where we will exchange instability for security.
“We are at a point where we will dump poverty for prosperity, we are at a point where we will stop the wave of violence and hatred and build a truly united Nigeria; where the live of every Nigerian will count.
“Today, 11 out of 19 states of Northern Nigeria have literarily been overrun by bandits from across the border and violence caused by agents of disunity and destruction.
“The southern states have literally been overtaken by kidnappers, robbers and all sorts of violence induced by the present state of the economy of the country.
“At the bottom of these massive upheavals in the land is youth unemployment, which has climbed to about 33 per cent to 36 per cent. Now, we have more youths that are unemployed than youths that are gainfully employed. The national unemployment average has also climbed to 24 percent of the population.
“Our resolve is to build a new economy that will guarantee jobs for our teeming youths, empower our women with the capital to take their place in the society and not just in the other room.”
The presidential candidate promised to expand the nation’s economy to a $4trn economy within 10 years.
He also assured Nigerians of instituting devolution of power to the states so that they can mobilise more local resources to address problems.
Olawepo-Hashim said his administration would empower states to have their own police alongside with the federal police, so that internal security could be enhanced. He also promised to create a national guard as an intermediate force between the Army and the police so that internal security could be rapidly restored.
“We will create an environment where more youths will have access to education by increasing budgetary allocation to the educational sector. We will make the necessary social investments to take our people rapidly out of poverty,” Olawepo-Hashim added.