Date: 2014-10-06

The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed its pleasure over the alleged endorsement of the incumbent Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed by the godfather of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, describing the Governor as a walk-over and the 2015 General Elections a fait accompli for the PDP in the state.

The PDP stated this on Sunday in a statement made available to journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Rex Olawoye.

The PDP said it received the news of the imposition of Gov. Ahmed on all other gubernatorial aspirants of the party with mixed feelings.

Olawoye says that on the one hand, the PDP is sad that the leadership of the APC has refused to deviate from its trademark practice of imposition and 'i-dash-you-position' which characterized their political sojourn in their former party.

"One would have reasonably expected that ex-governor Saraki would have learnt in his new party a lesson or two in democratic ideals which he refused to learn during his days in his former party. But alas, the situation seems to have gone from bad to worse. This is because whereas, the APC leadership in a statement released by its Publicity Secretary on the Thursday 4th September, 2014 ruled out automatic ticket for all aspirants contesting under its platform, but the party’s godfather, in a brazen show of raw power, overruled the whole party machinery to impose his puppet godson on the party."

"Mr. Saraki, like a leopard that doesn't change its spot, has yet again re-enacted his autocratic, undemocratic and self-serving style of imposing the least competent and the poor-performing on the people all in a bid to perpetuate himself in the corridor of power."

"Where else, if not in Kwara APC is this kind of dictatorial practice adopted in the whole world? What then has changed in the lives of the leaders of the APC since their defection? The answer obviously is NOTHING!"

"However, on the other hand, we are filled with joy that the APC has, by their own making, killed their own party by foisting a patently incompetent governorship candidate on their own party members for another term in office."

"If the APC leadership had been intelligent enough, they would have realized that the non-challance shown so far by the public to the so-called endorsement of Mr. Ahmed is a silence that signals danger for the APC. Who in the state today is celebrating the endorsement unlike the days of yore?

"If they had been listening enough, they would have realized that the questions on the lips of majority of Kwarans are: What are the achievements of Mr. Fatai Ahmed so far apart from the window dressing of hospitals and filing of pot-holes? What new projects did he embark upon and successfully complete? How have the civil servants fared under his administration? What is the fate of several thousands of pensioners that remained unpaid several years after?"

"These and many more are the questions the Kwara public is now asking, unfortunately, there seems to be no one in the government circle capable of giving truthful answers."

"And this is why we are not losing sleep over the reported imposition of Mr. Ahmed by his godfather in clear breach of the resolution of the party. As a party, we believe that there couldn't have been any better Sallah gift for Kwara PDP members from the APC than the imposition of Mr. Ahmed. To say the least, candidate Ahmed is an easy walk-over for the PDP come 2015."