Date: 2015-01-13

Kwarans who desire freedom from political oppression, ruling by proxy and general poor governance should vote for President Goodluck Jonathan because APC victory would "strengthen your oppressors back home", PDP chieftain Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN) has said.

Belgore, who spoke in Ilorin, capital town of Kwara State, was addressing a large crowd of supporters and PDP members who welcomed the senior advocate as he launched the campaign for PDP senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in the Kwara Central senatorial district.

Belgore, escorted by thousands of PDP chieftains, members and supporters, had earlier visited the Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari in company of Kwara Central Senatorial Candidate Abdulrahman Abdulrazak; candidate for Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency Sheriff Shagaya, his Ilorin East/South counterpart Tunde Oniyo, and House of Assembly candidates from Kwara Central.

"A vote against Jonathan is a vote for oppression and tyranny in Kwara. If you vote for APC at the centre, you have given more powers to the oppressors in Kwara. If we seek to banish oppression and poor governance from Kwara, then we must work for Jonathan. All politics is local," Belgore told the crowd at a rally to welcome him to Ilorin on Tuesday.

"If we say PDP, you should say Bukola Saraki must go. If you want them to go, if you want oppression to stop in Kwara, don't go to APC. Vote for PDP. Don't go anywhere. Vote for our candidates. We would liberate our people from PDP."

"If you don't work for PDP, you have given them the licence to continue to oppress and misrule you. If you don't vote Jonathan, you have empowered them more. If we win, we would attract many projects to Kwara. When they were in PDP they were working for their own interest, not your interest."

Presenting Abdulrazak, Shagaya, Oniyo and others to the crowd at his campaign office, Belgore urged Kwarans to "vote for them because we can vouch them. We can vouch them. APC has no people who can match them. Our candidates are known to all of you. As for APC in Kwara, a thief cannot give birth to trustworthy children."