The Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as unrealistic, the dream of  President Goodluck Jonathan that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will win the 2015 general election in the state.

The APC in a statement issued in Ilorin at the weekend  and signed  by its state interim Publicity Secretary, Alhaji  Sulyman Buh ari, faulted the statement credited to president Jonathan on PDP's wish to win elections in Kwara in 2015.

The statement reads in part: "This uninformed wish will yield no results and we advise Mr. President to forget Kwara state in 2015. Mr President was in this country when the former Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, destroyed the PDP through undemocratic policies and actions. For us, the involvement of Kwarans with the PDP is now a history.

"The mandate given to the Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed administration by the people will continue to be for the people. We reiterate that our decision to move to the APC was based not on political brinkmanship but on the need for a platform that will ensure that our people's voices are heard and that their well-being is assured. The people are firmly behind the State Government and the APC," he said.

"However, the Saraki political dynasty and not PDP won elections in 2011. Who will deliver Kwara State for PDP in 2015? Is it President Jonathan or these election-period politicians in the PDP? Late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua built a National Independent Power Project (NIPP) in Kwara State, what project has President Jonathan done in Kwara State?

"Is Kwara State not in Nigeria? President Jonathan can not reap where he did not sow. Mr. President should not be deceived by crowds of mainly PDP members in North-central, South-west and even Bayelsa State that attended his party's rally at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin.  Kwarans have abandoned his party and this is a reality he must learn to live with."

Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the APC has said it registered about 100,000 non-indigenes of resident in the state in the last membership registration exercise.

The Chairman of the Registration Committee of the Non-indigenes Political Forum (NIPF), Alhaji Yusuf Tanko, made the disclosure at a meeting of the forum held at the state APC Secretariat in Port Harcourt at the weekend.

Submitting a preliminary report of the work done by his committee during the recent APC nationwide membership registration exercise, Tanko said, “Our target was to register about 800,000 non-indigenes but due to the attacks on members by PDP hoodlums we could only mobilise about 100,000 non-indigenes who are genuine members of APC today. With this number we are capable of mobilising the 1.6 million non-indigenes voters in Rivers State for any election in favour of APC candidates any day, anytime."

In his speech, Leader of NIPF, Mr. Chuma Chinye, expressed gratitude to the committee for its achievement and assured the new APC members that they had made the right decision.

He assured the non-indigenes in Rivers State that the APC administration come 2015 would give them the necessary support to succeed in their various endeavours in the state.
“Let me reiterate that Governor Chibuike Amaechi, apart from being very supportive, is interested in all that we are doing as he has assured us of his commitment to carry us along; so we need to unite and ensure that an APC administration is installed in Rivers State come 2015," he said.

After brainstorming on the way forward, the meeting mandated the NIPF leadership to begin mobilisation for the 2015 elections by undertaking a tour of all major tribal/state's Chapters to ensure that members of the forum participate actively in the party congresses expected to start later this month.

Other NIPF leaders present at the meeting included Chairman of Rivers State Sanitation Commission, Chief Ade Adeogun; Chief Press Secretary to Amaechi, Mr. David Iyofor; and Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, senior special assistant on media and publicity to the interim State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ikanya, among other stakeholders.