Atiku Abubakar says his children will not join the current mass emigration by Nigerian youths, termed ‘japa’ in street parlance, to overseas even though the situation is exacerbated by the bad leadership of the Muhammadu Buhari regime.

Addressing party faithful in Enugu on Tuesday, Mr Abubakar decried the high rate of citizens leaving the nation in search of greener pastures abroad. He, however, asserted he had forbidden his children from relocating abroad.

Mr Atiku himself has often been accused of preferring to live in Dubai, UAE, whenever politics is off season.

“All of you have relatives, or children who are running away to United States, Canada. I have my own. I have refused anyone of them to go abroad and reside because I don’t believe it. We have to stay in this country.”

Mr Abubakar said his tenure as vice president saw many Nigerians in diaspora return to invest in the fatherland.

“In the government in which I served as Vice President, you saw Nigerians returning from abroad to invest in several opportunities in the country. Because I experienced it in my university. When I made sure I provide international standards, so many Nigerians from the United States and Europe came back not to Lagos or Abuja but to North-East Yola. They came back. All that we need to do is to make sure we make our country attractive for them to return and they will return,” the PDP presidential candidate said.

“Under the APC, the trend has since reversed. People cannot wait to run away from Nigeria. All of you have relatives, or children who are running away to United States, Canada. I have my own. I have refused anyone of them to go abroad and reside because I don’t believe it. We have to stay in this country.”

The presidential hopeful also promised to improve the healthcare system in the country if elected into office come 2023.

“We shall also provide good quality healthcare system that focuses on preventive care. We shall therefore make a massive investment in this critical area. A well-educated and healthy workforce is critical for economy and wealth creation in today’s world,” he said.