Being a joint statement of the CPC, ACN and ANPP on a plot by a bloc of the ruling PDP in the state, in connivance with certain fifth columnists in our respective Parties and beyond, to hijack the emerging APC mega party

There is uncovered a grand plot by a powerful but disgruntled bloc of the PDP to hijack the APC platform in the state. When reports trickled out recently that some disgruntled chieftains of the PDP were planning to abandon their sinking ship for the APC, little did it occur to us that their bid was going to be a violent, commando-like takeover of the machinery of the APC in the state. We have it on good authority that some PDP bigwigs in the state held a nocturnal gang-up in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital over the weekend. This latest move definitively exposes the political elite's trumpery - from unwitting self-deception to conscious manipulation of opposition struggles, from the merely false to the purely fraudulent.

Already, a committee, headed by a former national officer of the PDP and a perennial gubernatorial contestant in the state, has been set up to fine-tune the modalities for the takeover bid. And true to instructions, the committee has devised a multi-prong approach to destabilizing the fledging APC structure. These methods include but are by no means limited to; flying the dangerous kite of dissolution of the democratically elected State Executive Councils of the three major opposition parties in the state, to be hatchet by a few compromised members of our parties; promotion and sponsorship of hitherto unknown black-market political forums and food-is-ready Non Government Organisations (NGOs), etc, that are now masquerading as political counterforce and the public messiah.

We are reliably informed that the twin factors of an uncertain political future that unavoidably awaits them in the obviously tattered umbrella and a depilating repression under the shackles and shadows of a predator godfather, has inevitably made their next best bet to be to capture the promising state APC structure, where they hope to further fester their political obsession. This grand plot by the political bloc is unfortunately being orchestrated in active cohort of a few political hackers in our midst, who have been handsomely rewarded.

As a party, we will not pretend to be unaware of the fact that the perfidy and treachery being played out by a bunch of self-seeking anarchists in our midst is at the prompting of the ruling elite. The good news is that these political cancers are already being identified. These pseudo progressives are reputed for using a pre-prepared template to go about destabilizing and hijacking any political platform that is unfortunate to embrace them. Not only do they have a shameful and promiscuous history of jumping ship wherever their bread is no longer buttered, but also have a record of attempting to hijack the machinery of the unsuspecting party to pave way for their ultimate goal of using it as a bargain chip.

Although we have been keeping a dossier on the clandestine moves of a few reneges in our midst lately, trusting, albeit naively, that their scheming would not be more than the usual self-seeking permutations of professional politicians in the state, but their recently uncovered dangerous pandering to the ruling elite's heinous idea of a forceful hijack of the APC structure truly threw us off guard. What has however continued to baffle us is on what basis these hawks can claim a high moral ground to properly represent the interest of the people of Kwara state. These are people that have severally failed the state and betrayed the people's trust. Rather than judiciously and faithfully serving the people and improving their standards of living with their huge resources, they have, more often than not, recklessly pursued an agenda of ethnic provincialism, manufactured controversy, ideological messianism, and political influence-buying while masquerading as exemplars of liberty and democracy.

The plan of these charlatans have been exposed, therefore, party members and our national body should discountenance their flaw antics and frolics. We equally urge the public and the media to be wary of these political adventurers whose grand plan, in connivance with their paymasters in government, is to precipitate a crisis of epic proportions in our midst. We warn members to be wary of these persons who have failed to show any sense of remorse or repentance for their actions that caused the party a huge lost at the previous polls.

However, for the avoidance of doubt, we state unequivocally that while we do not begrudge anybody or group of persons from joining the progressive train of the APC in the state, such group must however be ready to subject themselves both to the supremacy of the party and the will of the majority. They must be ready to shed their arrogant and supercilious toga. The era of uncouth, tactless and overnight forceful hijacking of political platforms is gone and gone for good! Any attempt to resurrect an idea that is dead and effectively buried in the brain of its progenitor will be tantamount to a declaration of war against democracy and the rule of law. They have to bear it in their minds that the APC is a party of rules and due process, in which popular decisions are taken, not in the bedroom of any godfather in the state, but by popular will.

We therefore declare firmly and unequivocally that we will not fold our arms and allow elements with evil intention to scuttle our renewed bid to rescue the state from people who do not mean well for it. Consequent upon this, the security men have already been briefed about the latest development. We are crying out now for the people to know that the ruling party has planted its agents in our midst. We appeal to Kwarans to be steadfast in their defence of our fledgling democracy and resist any attempt in whatever guise to truncate it. Our party will not be cowed or succumb to blackmail to abandon its resolve to rescue the state from the hawks, no matter the amount of public funds and evil scheming goes into such plot.

It is in the light of the above that we urge all members of our respective parties to hold on tenaciously to their party platforms. This is the only way maximum impact can be achieved. The idea of establishing emergency political forums is clearly antithetical at this critical time, where mutual camaraderie is the driving force. As desirable as the political forums, experience in recent past has shown that such forums are capable of derailing oneness and cohesion. They have never added any electoral value to our collective aspirations, rather, they have only made us work at cross-purposes and further bolstered our adversaries.

So, to all the mushrooming NGOs, forums and associations who genuinely share in our aspirations for a better Kwara, we appeal to their initiators to take urgent steps to collapse their structures into the APC mega platform without further delay. Anyone that flagrantly flouts this timely directive after now might be crossing the borderline of party loyalty and anti-party activity and we will not hesitate to wield the big stick by declaring such person or group of persons persona non grata in our folds. Deriding the party structures by dismissing it as ignorant and inconsequential is outrightly disingenuous. The will of the people is not a mere irritant or an obstacle to be overcome under the pressure of any undemocratic circumstances.

But beyond all these acts of the shenanigans, we are glad that the teeming members of our parties have seen through their evil intention and are not ready to succumb to the antics of these shady characters, whose only stock in trade is to realize their inordinate and wide ambition of taking over the leadership of the state APC structure in order to pave the way for the destabilization of the only viable opposition platform in the country.

Thank you and God bless

Alhaji Suleiman Buhari
CPC State Chairman

Kayode Olawepo JP
ACN State Chairman

Alh Taiwo Eleja
ANPP Chairman