FORMER Special Assistant to then Defence Minister, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), John Dara, has described Kwara State as a state under siege and believes that only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can rescue it and its people from the political onslaught.

While receiving a Kwame Nkrumah Award for Excellent Contributions to West African Countries from members of the West African Students Union on Wednesday in Ilorin, Dara, who desires to govern the state in 2015, said the PDP, with its widespread membership in the state has the capacity "to flush out the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its retrogressive style of governance in the 2015 election."

However, Dara, who is the National Organising Secretary of Middle Belt Forum (MBF), warned that the PDP should field "the right kind of leadership" against the incumbent Abdulfatah Ahmed or forfeit the dream of taking over the mantle of leadership in the state.

According to him, "it is heartwarming to observe that the West African students are beginning to appreciate the contributions of deserving Nigerians to the growth of this sub-region.

"My number one assignment is to make Kwara more comfortable. What we have in Kwara governance today is arrant nonsense. I wonder why the people are comfortable with the mess! That is why our people, especially members of the PDP in Kwara, should field the right type of candidate against the incumbent. The PDP remains the only viable party around to deliver Kwarans from political bondage."

He said he would have preferred the award in 2019, "when I would have finished my tenure as governor of Kwara. I pray the people of Kwara will rise above sentiments to pick me as the one to re-engineer our state.

"I believe in democracy. The biggest asset of Kwara is the people. When you develop the people you have developed the state. I have no animosity with Sarakis, but we have different political ideologies. If you are too old, you can do it well today for your children and secure the future against servitude.

"The poverty in West Africa is a replica of the poverty in Kwara. When will Kwara state be independent of federal allocation and upgrade the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is a question the government of Ahmed should answer.

"Besides, if we look at the outbreak of conflicts in West Africa, it remains inevitable because the gap between the rich and the poor is too wide. Your generation should find an answer to this."

According to Dara, the recent defection of the former governor of the state, Bukola Saraki, from the PDP to APC remained a blessing for PDP members in he state, adding: "We need to capitalise on this to free our people from bondage.

"But we need to pick the right candidate before PDP could win election in Kwara. The candidate must be acceptable to all Kwarans irrespective of religious inclination. I want this bigger job as governor to prove to Kwarans that we are not bereft of ideas in the state."