Date: 2015-04-21

It's no news that the ruling APC in Kwara has won the just concluded polls by all means - including foul and crude. But, since this is a democracy not a fiefdom, in another four years, it will be time for a rematch.

If you are one of the 115, 000 people that voted for the opposition PDP in Kwara against the intimidation and harassment sponsored by the ruling APC, you are the true heroes of April 11. You ought to pat yourself on the back and be proud of what we were able to accomplish together against all odds.

When it comes to the outcome of the just concluded elections, dear Kwarans, remember that we may have lost the battle but not the war. The task for the reclamation of Kwara from the hand of few individuals to that of a collective has just begun. We will not waiver; we will not retreat until victory is ours by His Grace. But then again, we ought to remember that our mission is just and posterity will in due course put us on the right side of Kwara history.

We are not the ones converting state properties into our own; neither do we give lucrative state contracts to family and friends who are resident and citizens of another state. The injustice that has taken root in Kwara since 2003 has turned a once proud people into servile peasants of a few individuals.This, dear Kwarans, cannot stand for long. Their victories are built on quicksand and cannot withstand the test of time. If indeed, democracy is a game of numbers, then indeed, they do not have the majority of Kwarans on theirside. The outcome of the just concluded gubernatorial election have shown that they have been able to buy only a motley crowd of 295, 000 to cling on to power, but the majority of the over 1. 2 million Kwarans who did not vote and in some cases did not bother to register to vote out of apathy - make up the bulk of the Kwara electorate - these are the silent majority - and it has become our job to wake them up from their sleep in the collective fight to reclaim our state back to the Kwara people.

Personally, I have no doubt that the AbdulFatah Ahmed government will continue to perform at its present abysmal levels - given the corruption and lack of focus of the state government. Trash will continue to pile up in the metro areas, the public school system will continue to suffer neglect, ditto the public health system. Our traditional rulers will continue to suffer abuse and disrespect to their stools and the economy of the average Kwaran - I am afraid,may not significantly improve. This is the realities that face every single Kwaran in the next four years under this regime.

Since from time immemorial, it is the responsibility of the enlightened few to remove a people in bondage from the shackles of oppression and intimidation, it has become our singular mission to replace the existing deceitful hegemony with a people centered government. The alternative that we offer is a more hopeful society than what presently obtains in Kwara. We offer a society that is free,inclusive, tolerant and respectful of traditions. While many in the present regime have outsourced their thinking to an individual, we on the other hand recognize the power of the collective and we will allow and indeed foster an environment that encourages Kwarans to think and innovate. The kind of Kwara that we envisage is one that guarantees the self worth of every single Kwaran.

The Kwara that we have today is not what our forefathers fought and died for.They didn't fight and die so that Kwara can become the personal estate of a few individuals; they fought and died so that Kwara can become a commonwealth for us all. It is now our duty as new generation leaders in and around Kwara to stand up and fight for a Kwara that will indeed fulfill the promise of our forebears.

Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia can be reached at abdulajia@yahoo.com and on twitter @AbdulAjia