Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday, said that the country had witnessed the worst form of democracy and autocratic rule in the past eight years under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
For this reason, he apologised to the people of the South-West for being deceived into voting for �a wrong party and a wrong leadership� in 2003.
The vice president spoke in Ibadan, Oyo State, at a rally organised by the Action Congress in continuation of his nationwide campaign to actualise his presidential ambition on the AC platform.
For more than five hours, party faithful across Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Lagos states defied the scorching sun as they danced away at the Liberty Stadium, venue of the rally, while awaiting the arrival of the vice president.
Although, the rally was scheduled for 10am, it did not start until 3.30pm when Abubakar arrived to a rousing welcome by the tumultuous crowd.
Buoyed by the large turnout of AC supporters, Abubakar berated his boss for reneging on all campaign promises he made to the people of the South-West in 2003.
He said, �About eight years ago, the people of Nigeria voted for a supposedly democratic government. But, we have seen the worst of democracy in this country in the past eight years.
�Democracy is about obedience to the rule of law. The South-West is the fulcrum of democracy in Nigeria. So, you deserve something better. All promises made were not fulfilled.
�They promised you stable electricity supply, but it is getting worse. The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has become a death trap.�
Abubakar said that the Ibadan-Ilorin Road which was listed for dualisation, had been abandoned.
If voted into power by May 29, he said he would redress all the injustices done to the people of the South-West and the country in general.
In particular, he said his administration would ensure that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the abandoned Ibadan-Ilorin Road, among others, were rehabilitated.
The vice-president allayed the fears of his supporters over threats by the Independent National Electoral Commission to disqualify him from standing for the April election.
Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, also took a swipe at Obasanjo for neglecting the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and leaving it in a deplorable condition in almost eight years of his administration.
He said all the hoopla about the purported disqualification of the vice-president by INEC over a �spurious offence� and in defiance of court orders was a mere grandstanding that would not stand the test of time.
Tinubu said, �A man that promised you electricity and failed; a man that promised you better police and better welfare and security for the people and did not deliver.
�What do you do to such man and his party? You sweep them away and that is what we are going to do in April. Nobody can disqualify Atiku. Na lie; it�s not possible.�
The National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, said the Peoples Democratic Party succeeded in capturing the body of the Yoruba in 2003 as boasted by Obasanjo and the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Chief Olabode George.
However, he said the soul of the party remained with the Yoruba, who he said had freed themselves from the shackles of the PDP and had now pitched their tent with Abubakar�s AC.
The former governors of Oyo and Ogun states, Alhaji Lam Adesina and Chief Segun Osoba, as well as a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Umar Na�aba, also spoke on the occasion.
In a symbolic ceremony, the chairman of the party handed over the governorship flag of the party in the state to Atiku, who in turn handed it over to the party�s gubernatorial candidate for Oyo State, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja.
Other governorship candidates of the party at the rally were Chief Ademola Adegoroye (Ondo); Chief Dipo Dina (Ogun); Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); and Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); only Mr. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State was absent.
Also on the campaign train were Senators Olorunnibe Mamora and Anthony Adefuye; a member of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Abike Dabiri; Chief Yomi Edu and former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Niyi Adebayo, among others. A fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, added pep to the campaign with his rendition of campaign songs that intermittently electrified the stadium.
Security was tight at the venue, as a combined team of riot and regular policemen mounted guard.
They, however, had a hectic time controlling the crowd, which surged forward as the governors and other party leaders made for the state box.
Twenty luxury buses coming for the rally were stopped at the Ibadan end of the tollgate by policemen.
The intervention of the security details of the vice president saved the day as they were eventually allowed passage after about two hours delay.
It was learnt that the police action was informed by the black attire worn by some of the supporters coming for the rally, who were said to be private security men some of the political leaders.