Saraki, Ahmed’s Planned Defection Divides Kwara PDP

Ahead of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s planned defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party in Kwara state is already divided over the return of its erstwhile members.

Governor Ahmed had on Thursday hinted on he and Saraki’s defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, saying, “our future is no longer certain in the APC,” adding that the people of Kwara State have asked them to dump the ruling party.

But reacting to the duo’s alleged planned return to the PDP, the State’s Chairman of the main opposition party, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, has reportedly frowned at the development.

Oyedepo was quoted as telling reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, that he and his loyalists won’t accept the situation where they would be dominated by Saraki, Governor Ahmed and two senators and six House of Reps members from the state who had just defected from the ruling APC to the PDP on Tuesday.

“If we agree to work with them (Saraki), just imagine myself and (Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed) Maigida standing on the same rostrum, pledging to do things for the people. It will be a shame; many people will look at me and wonder what has happened,” the state chairman was quoted as saying by Vanguard.

“So, it is better not to be in politics again. Instead of a dog being the treasurer for the lion, it is better for both to part ways and go their separate hunting game.

“We have not sat down with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the state governor, Alhaji AbdulFattah Ahmed, even though I’m hearing several rumours that I have met with them and that they have offered me juicy positions.

“Those are all lies; the Senate President despite his humongous wealth, does not yet have what it takes to buy me. He cannot ever buy me because he cannot buy my integrity. If my bank account is not fat, my integrity account is very fat.

“So they have not met with us but our national body said they have set up a committee to meet with the two sides next week and when that meeting comes up, we are going to tell the national body that we cannot accept the formula they have put down which is 60:40, 60 percent for a state defecting with the governor and 40 percent for the existing PDP members. And if they said what of 50:50, or 40:60 or 30:70 or even 10:90, we shall not accept; we cannot accept any offer. Anything less than our not working together we cannot accept.

“So, we will tell our national body to choose between us and them and I know that they will not choose us because we don’t have money but we are not worried. We will only know that an end has come to our journey and our relationship (in the PDP).

“If we agree to work with them (Saraki), just imagine myself and (Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed) Maigida standing on the same rostrum, pledging to do things for the people. It will be a shame; many people will look at me and wonder what has happened. So, it is better not to be in politics again. Instead of a dog being the treasurer for the lion, it is better for both to part ways and go on their separate hunting game.

“The blame is not from the Saraki camp; the blame is from our national leaders (in the PDP). Leadership in Nigeria is the conspiracy of the elite to punish the downtrodden. When they gave us the party, we inherited nothing and so whatever you see in the PDP today is the product of our efforts. For this alone, we should not be interested in defecting from our own house but it is better we do so now and look forward to a better future for our dear state,” Oyedepo reportedly said.