The stage is set for an epic power struggle in Kwara State. Expectedly, it is be-tween the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In what appeared like first step to realizing its political dream, the PDP led by President Goodluck Jonathan, last Monday, drew a battle line in the state in its avowed determination to reclaim the state in 2015.The event was a unity rally organized by the state chapter of the ruling party, to amongst other things welcome back members of the party who left some time ago, and to receive defectors from other parties to the PDP. As early as 8 am, party faithful from different parts of the state thronged the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin, venue of the rally, in their numbers to await the arrival of the president. As they waited they sang and danced. At exactly 11:57 am, President Jonathan and his entourage entered the arena to a tumultuous welcome. The president was accompanied by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and some members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC). Others in President Jonathan’s entourage included the Senate President, David Mark, Chairman, PDP Governors Forum and Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu; Cross River State governor, Liyel Imoke and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Seriake Dickson as well as the deputy governors of Kogi and Sokoto states. The atmosphere was electrified by the arrival of Jonathan and the national lead-ership of the ruling party. The rally came on the heels of the defection of former governor of the state, Senator Bukola Saraki, the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed and other top shots of the PDP to the APC recently. The Saraki political dynasty had all along controlled the politics of the state. The state chairman of the PDP, Solomon Edoja set the tone for the day’s business, declaring that it marks the liberation of the state from repressive forces that have held it down in the past. He said the day marked the dawn of a new era for the North Central State. Today marks the beginning of a new beginning for the Kwara PDP. Freedom from government of impunity, freedom from poverty, freedom from underdevelopment, he noted. Edoja said contrary to the belief outside the state, Kwara is essentially a PDP state and will continue to remain so. As he spoke, shouts of “freedom to Kwara rented the air. He said those who had left the party were mere paper tigers, pointing out that “all the political heavy weights, grassroots mobilizers, lovers of freedom” are still in the party. Edoja promised the President that the party will win all the elective seats in the state in the 2015 general election. Jonathan told the excited party men and women that their decision to stick with the PDP was the right decision. He said the party is the only party in the country that can best protect the interest of the common man. His words: It is only in PDP that people like me can become president. PDP is not owned by any individual. We don’t have dictators. No more imposition. No godfathers. We don’t own the country. We are only serving the people. In Kwara, it is the PDP that can give you what you want. You don’t have to serve demi-gods. “PDP is the only party that will liberate everybody and a state like Kwara State, it is only PDP that can give you what you want. So today, this rally is a unique rally, it is a freedom rally, this rally is a rally to liberate everybody and after this rally today, every Kwaran son and daughter is free; free to play the politics the way they want it. “It is only PDP that can give people freedom; we are here for freedom of our people. We were here in 2011 for the campaign for the general election and we are here today and we have seen the crowd; the turnouts are the same if not more. It only means that everybody that matters is in PDP,” the President said. Speaking at the event, the Senate President, David Mark said that he had never seen such a massive crowd anywhere in the country. He confessed that on his way to the rally, he had expressed fears if there would be people at the event. Mark said: I was in Sokoto. I was in Imo, let me confess, nothing compares to this. What is more important, people are still on the way coming. Is there anybody in Kwara left at home today? One or two people who are not here, they will soon come back. Even those who are pretending to leave the party, they will come back. Our going round the nation now is not for campaign. When that time comes, nobody will tell the people of Kwara. We will storm Kwara. We will come back again, because those who are not here now will beg us to come back and receive them. This is the only party where there is democracy. We are not owned by an individual. We are not owned by any group. We are owned by the people. Going round I was moved. I almost shed tears because I have not seen this kind of enthusiastic crowd any-where in this country. The chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih did not agrees less. He said it appears the whole of the state had trooped out for the rally. “Today is a wonderful day. If any leader is not here, it means he is not in Kwara State. When we went to Imo, I think nobody can challenge the record they created. The crowd (here) is overwhelming. If any leader is not here, what we are doing here today is the total mobilization of everybody in Kwara State. We are here to welcome our brothers and sisters, some of whom were foundation members of our party. The fact that the president came himself to receive them shows that Kwara has always been in the mainstream of politics in this country. “We want to say a big thank you because in 2007, you gave us an overwhelming victory, and we had 64.4 per cent here. Those who fought us then have now joined us. So in the next election, we will have 99.9 per cent,” the PDP BoT chairman stated. The high points of the event was the formal reception of former members of the party, who are returning to the fold and defectors from other parties. Among the defectors were the former gubernatorial candidate of Action Congress of Ni-geria (ACN), Mohammed Belgore(SAN) and Senator Gbemisola Saraki, daughter of late strongman of Kwara politics, Olu-sola Saraki. Gbemisola had left the PDP to contest the last governorship election on the platform of ACPN. Receiving the new members, the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu said the ruling party remains the only democratic party in the country, stating that it is a party for every Nigerian. He implored the members of the party to repeat what they did in 2011 in the next general election by voting massively for the PDP To those who left the party in the state recently, Muazu said the party would welcome them whenever they decide to return. But the crowd shouted in unison that they are no longer needed in the party. His appeal to the crowd to forgive them was greeted by a resounding “no”. Gbemisola said from the turnout at the rally, it was obvious “that PDP is very much alive. It is clear that the reason for defection by a loud few is because of their personal and selfish interests She dismissed fears that acrimony amongst the PDP stakeholders in the state will not allow them work together. “ This is far from the truth, in order not to disappoint our people that are ready for change, our individual desires have taken a back seat in the scheme of things. We believe Mr President that we desire support. Kwara is ready for 2015. Kwara is ready for the PDP,” the former senator stated.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 05:50:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015