Date: 2018-10-04

Thousands of supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaiama and Baruten Local Government Areas in Kwara North Senatorial District yesterday endorsed the candidacy of Mallam Saliu Mustapha as the governorship flag-bearer of the party in the state.

Mustapha, a former Deputy National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), received the endorsement during the tour of the two local government areas in continuation of his consultation ahead of the gubernatorial primary of the APC holding this Thursday.

A leader of the APC in Kaiama Local Government Area, Alhaji Umar Mahmud Aboki, who led the governorship aspirant to the Palace of Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Omar, described Mustapha as a formidable candidate that can give PDP a good run for its money.

Aboki noted that the governorship aspirant had held top political positions in the past, which eminently qualified him to preside over the affairs of the state, recalling that Mustapha came with President Muhammadu Buhari in 2011 to campaign to the people of Kaiama under the CPC platform.

The APC Stalwart also said that Mustapha remained only formidable aspirant among the arrays of the party's aspirants in the state that can tackle and defeat the PDP and its candidate in the state having served under the political tutelage of President Buhari and shared the same ideology with the President.

He added that the APC would strategically position itself for victory and take over the state in the forthcoming general elections if it succeeded in fielding Mustapha as its candidate.

Speaking during his homage to the Emir of Kaiama, the APC governorship aspirant acknowledged that it was the turn of the Kwara North conventionally to produce the next governor of the state but the political exigencies of the moment made it imperative for Kwara Central to come in.

Mustapha, who spoke amid array of endorsement by people of Kaiama, said the APC was desirous to take over the mantle of leadership in the state from the PDP and would require it to present a candidate from the Central to challenge the ruling party in the state.

The gubernatorial hopeful expressed displeasure over what he called "dilapidated infrastructure" in the local government area and assured that the problems would be tackled holistically if given the mandate.

He, however, reiterated that his coming into the governorship race was not a do or die affair, declaring that the disrepair state of infrastructure encouraged him to throw his hat in the ring in order to fix the state.

According to him,"As true indigenes of Kwara State, whatever affects you, affects us. And as true indigenes of Kwara State, we are here with a heavy burden that we have come here to ask you for these three things I will mention.

"We know if we are to go by convention or fair play, somebody from Kwara North should be the one we should be supporting today, because somebody from Kwara Central has been Governor before, Kwara South is currently occupying that seat.

"But unfortunately in our party, because of political exigencies and our own political calculation, we want to enthrone APC in the state and in doing so, we believe the opportunity before us now will require for us to bring somebody from the Central to challenge the PDP, not because we don't share, respect or we think it is just Central.

"Somebody from Kwara North is also qualified, and we are not discriminating against anybody from Kwara North. We believe we are all Kwarans. We believe everybody is eminently qualified. But because of the kind of leadership that the PDP has enthroned, we in APC are looking at another option that in the event that the PDP brings somebody from the Central, then the APC should also bring somebody from the Central in order to checkmate their votes.

"But anything outside that, we are not here to campaign or to insist that it must be somebody from the Central. We are here to seek that understanding first so that you don't look at us as people who are inconsiderate. Because we believe all of us are Kwarans.

"We share in your pains and in everything that affects this constituency (Kaiama). That if given the opportunity, ours is to come and serve the people. Our aspiration is because we want to serve and add value to the system. We want to bring an inclusive governance. We want to bring a system whereby we will always fall back to you for advice and consultation so that we would pick our problems with precise answers and solutions to solve them. "Like I said, we have not come here for campaign. We have only come here to intimate you of our intention. In doing so, we want to let you know that for us in this movement, it is not a do or die affair. We have submitted our aspirations to the Almighty Allah", Mustapha said.

Responding, the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Omar, said the town was suffering from infrastructural decay and prayed Almighty God to enthrone the candidate who will be sympathetic to the plight of the people of the area.

He described the visit of Mustapha as a good omen to the people of the town and lauded the mature manner with which he has been canvassing support for his ambition.

The gubernatorial hopeful visited the APC Secretariat in Kaiama where he reeled out his plans to fix the state.

Mustapha, who also addressed party faithful while in Baruten Local Government Area, commended members and supporters of the APC for their steadfastness and loyalty, pledging that he would not betray the confidence reposed in him.

Speaking on behalf of their members, party leaders expressed satisfaction with the candidacy of the governorship aspirant and assured him of their support.