Atiku's policy plans cause disquiet within PDP as they indicate he intends running for a second term

PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) leaders have expressed anxiety over the plans of their presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar's intentions after his recently published programmes indicate that he is likely to want to stay in office for more than one term.

Former vice president Alhaji Abubakar had clinched the PDP ticket to stand in next month's presidential elections but while campaigning, he had said that he only intends to serve for one four-year term. Over the weekend, Alhaji Abubakar published his manifesto and it shows that his policy plans extend to a likely second term in office.

Instead of planning for a single term of four years, Alhaji Abubakar's targets have a six-year timeline, fuelling speculations that he might be intending to remain in office for eight years. Most party  leaders from the southeast and southwest geo-political zones are now worried after reading the document tagged People’s Policy.

According to one PDP governor, the policy is causing some disquiet because it does not give a ray of hope that power will shift from the north to the south in 2023 if Atiku is elected as the nation’s president in 2019. He added: “Some of us were expecting a timeline of 2019 to 2023 but the policy plan is mostly made up of a six-year plan.

"The people of the southeast, southwest and south-south want a commitment from Atiku on whether or not he will spend one term in office in order to complete the slot of the north. We are suspecting that those who drafted the policy have a hidden agenda of two terms in office for Atiku.”

However, one member of the PDP's national working committee said: “I think our candidate is planning for the future for the country. It may not be a matter of second term ambition.

“Atiku has not really been categorical on whether or not he will spend one term in office. So, those raising dust on the 2025 policy plan are  getting agitated to know where he stands.”

Atiku's document for instance said that the state’s critical policy priority is to build a broad based, dynamic and competitive economy with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $900bn by 2025. It also added that by 2025, he will increase the inflow of direct foreign investment to a minimum of 2.5% of  GDP and work towards achieving the lowest corporate income tax rate in Africa.

Other quotes include: “Accelerate investment to double our  infrastructure stock to approximately 50% of GDP by 2025 and 70% by 2030. Achieve a sustained increase in manufacturing output from 9% to 30% of GDP by 2025 and reduce the sector’s dependence on imported raw materials, as looking inwards will promote value addition.

“Power sector reform will be a critical policy  priority. By 2025, Nigeria shall make giant strides in diversifying its sources of power and delivering up to 20,000MW.”