Date: 2018-12-10

he Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Sunday, said that federal might on the side of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, party, will not stop the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from winning coming elections both in Kwara state and at the federal levels. Senate President Bukola Saraki 2019: South West has abandoned Buhari, Osinbajo - PDP Saraki, who is the national leader of the PDP, said PDP will sweep the elections in Kwara state and also win the presidential election by the grace of God. He asked his supporters not to be afraid of the use of federal might in the forthcoming general election, pointing out that he had confronted such situations in two previous elections and floored the incumbents.

Saraki spoke at the inauguration of a 42-man Campaign Council for the state PDP at ABS Constituency Office, Ilorin, the state capital. The Senate President said, while the 2019 election, like any other elections, has its challenges, that experience has shown that with the right tactics and strategies, the PDP will win the state again.

He said: "Don't be afraid, don't create fears in your heart, I have heard all the talks of the opposition about using federal might. But we have seen it all. We saw it in 2003, we saw it in 2015 or don't you know that they used federal might in 2015? In 2015, with federal might, we defeated them. It was you people that God used then and in 2019, with those who have come to join us, we will defeat them again."

He, however, asked members of the Campaign Council to demonstrate utmost faithfulness in the discharge of their duties to achieve the desired results. Saraki recalled that the Mandate office has been the platform for every electoral victory of the party since 2003 and expressed confidence that God is with his political structure to win the next poll again. He stressed, "Every election has its challenges. But, we have what it takes to tackle it and once you are committed, victory is ours."

He also tasked the party on the need to implement a rigorous campaign to ensure everyone is reached. Making reference to his political travails since the APC won the 2015 general election, Saraki used his attitude to the crisis to plead with aggrieved members of the PDP to sheath their swords and work for the party's victory, promising that there would be a better deal for Nigerians under a government run by the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

According to Saraki, it is only when the PDP is in power at the federal level that things can return to normal for suffering Nigerians and the hopes of the people properly addressed. Earlier, the state governor, Alh Abdulfattah Ahmed, had expressed confidence that the PDP will win the state in 2019, "using that astute leadership of the Senate President as it has always been done since 2003."

In his acceptance speech, on behalf of members of the campaign council, chairman of the council, Professor Suleiman Abubakar, described their appointments as a call to service at a critical period in the history of the state and promised to give all it takes to ensure success for the endeavour.

Abukakar, who was minister of National Planning during the 2015 elections, said, despite the federal might that was on his side, that Saraki truly defeated him and his team then.

He however expressed confidence that, now that him and his team are working together in the same party with Saraki, that things would turn out much better. Apart from the former minister, other leaders of the campaign council include, Alh. Khaleel Bolaji to coordinate Kwara south, Alh Issa Bawa ( north) , Alh Ladi Edun (central), Bode Ojomu, Director of Media and Publicity; Comrade Ben Duntoye, Director of Youths and Alh Isiaka Danmairomo, Director of Campaigns among others.