After weeks of speculations, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and the Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, have dumped the All Progressives Congress for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
Saraki announced his decision in a statement on his verified social media accounts on twitter and Facebook on Tuesday. The statement on facebook read, “I wish to inform Nigerians that, after extensive consultations, I have decided to take my leave of the All Progressives Congress…”
Ahmed on his part announced his decision via a statement issued on his behalf by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, in Ilorin.
The statement read, “Following due consultations with the people and in response to calls by major stakeholder groups in the state, Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, today (Tuesday) defected to the PDP having realized that the APC can no longer serve as a platform for achieving the aspirations and expectations of his people.”
Earlier in Ilorin on Tuesday, Saraki had met his supporters where he told them that he dumped the APC because of their insistence that he should do so and the guidance he received from God.
He further alleged that Kwara State was marginalised in terms of appointments by the APC.
Saraki spoke to journalists in Ilorin after a meeting attended by the state governor, all the members of the National Assembly from the state, 23 members of the state house of assembly and local government chairmen and members of the state executive council.
Saraki said, “We discussed this issue last week when I came home. You told me that you were tired of the APC, but I asked you to exercise patience. I told you that I will seek God’s guidance and feed you back on my return to Ilorin.
“The Federal Government appointed over 200 persons into juicy offices without allotting any slot to me or (Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu) Dogara. Everything went to Katsina, Katsina, Lagos, Lagos. If not for the love I have for Nigeria, we would have scattered everything. They don’t want us in their party. They don’t like us in Kwara.
“What I am after is for my people to enjoy dividend of democracy. I want us to be in the party that will love my people. Wherever we are, we will win elections. The governor told me he’s tired of the APC.
“Those we are talking to in the PDP have understood that we need to move Nigeria forward. There is no cause for alarm. We should forget about personal ambition as we move to a new party. What should be paramount in our minds is Nigeria’s progress. We will set up our committee which will be meeting with the PDP committee. I’ve met with great stakeholders in the PDP such as Prof. Sulaiman, Ajibola Simon and Yekini Alabi and we have all agreed to work together. We should cooperate with the PDP people who we are joining.”
The Punch
Other Articles
