PDP Will Reclaim Kwara From Bukola Saraki..Goodluck

 

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has vowed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will retrieve all elected positions that have been seized by the Senator Bukola Saraki-led All Progressives Congress (APC) in  Kwara State, saying that both parties will test their strengths in 2015.

Receiving a delegation of PDP leaders from the state, led by Hajia Bola Shagaya, who paid him a “thank you” visit following his recent presence in Ilorin to attend a political rally,  the president observed that despite attempts by the state government to divert the attention of the people, they still turned out en masse to participate in the PDP rally.

He observed that it was an indication that Kwara State remained fully a PDP state in spite of efforts by the APC leaders to forcibly conscript the party members into APC.

Jonathan assured political office holders and PDP members in the state that refused to defect to the opposition party that they would have nothing to regret, advising them instead to celebrate.

He said: “In 2015, we will know who owns Kwara. And if God gives us the opportunity, which I believe, probably we will even test our strength before 2015. All stolen mandates will return to PDP.

“As a member of the Assembly who refused to defect, you will have nothing to regret. Just celebrate it. If they think that PDP will allow them to run away with it, they will see it.

“So, let us continue to encourage you and we will continue to work together with your leaders, supporters and make sure that not only will we win the election at the national level, we will also win at the state level.

 

“We must take over the state structures of the party, the governor and the state Assembly. We must take all, because it is easier to reach the grass roots through the states than the centre because the country is so big that by the time we distribute positions, you will not be noticed. But at the state level, we can touch more people.

“So, any state we are unable to win, members of the party in that state will continue to live like orphans. So, definitely, we are taking Kwara. So, I am quite pleased with what you have done today.”

The president praised the efforts of the Kwara PDP leaders who, he observed, had made a lot of sacrifice for the sake of the party, thanking them especially for the successful rally they hosted in Ilorin recently.

Jonathan further said: “Let me also join others to express our deepest appreciation for the reception you gave to us when we came for the rally. The rally in Kwara was even thicker than some zonal rallies.

“It was even a day the government had wanted to distract the attention of the citizens. They arranged some programmes even within Ilorin and those programmes failed.”

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Senator L.A.K. Jimoh said they were in State House Abuja to express special gratitude for Jonathan’s presence and participation in the solidarity rally in Ilorin