The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged Lagos residents to liberate themselves from the rule of a family government and replace it with the people’s government by voting for the party in the forthcoming elections.

The former vice president spoke on Monday during the PDP presidential campaign rally held at the Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island.

Atiku, who was present with his wife, Mrs Titi Abubakar, promised to restructure the country and empower youths with Small and Medium Enterprises if elected president.

He said, “I want to give you a short history. This history is about 53 years ago, in 1969 when I first came to Lagos; there was only one Carter Bridge built by the Europeans. There was no Second Mainland Bridge, no Third Mainland Bridge, or the Tafawa Balewa Square.

“It was the Federal Government that built the Second and Third Mainland Bridges and rebuilt the Carter Bride, Agege Motor Road, Ikorodu, and all the major roads connecting the island with the mainland. Now the APC government is claiming that they developed Lagos; they did not develop Lagos at all. They are lying to you.

“Therefore, it is time for you the people of Lagos to liberate yourself from a family government to the people’s government, and that people’s government is going to be led by Jandor.

“People of Lagos, it is high time you took your destiny into your own hands for your future, not for the future of one family. In the last 23 years, you have been governed by one family and it is your right and your duty to take over that governance and hand it over to yourselves that is what the PDP stands for.

“On my own part, if you elect me as president, I promise by the grace of God, I am going to set aside $10bn so that we can empower our young men and women in SMEs. People were asking me where I was going to get that money. If I privatise Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, I am going to get that money.

“Let me also promise you, if you vote for the PDP government we will restructure this country. What do we mean by that? We will give your states and local governments more power and resources, so it is up to you to hold them responsible.”