Date: 2013-11-07

Leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has unequivocally told the APC leaders, who had come to woo  members of the ruling party in the state into the opposition party, that the state has a peculiar political structure and leadership, led by former Senate leader, late (Dr) Olusola Saraki, spanning over four decades.

The APC team, which was led by its interim national leader, Chief Bisi Akande, to Government House, Ilorin, on Wednesday, described Kwara State as a beautiful bride that cannot be ignored by any progressives.

Akande said  APC was starting a revolution that would move the nation to a progressive level, calling all and sundry to join the struggle.

The APC team included former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari; former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu;  former Speaker, House of Representatives, Bello Masari; former governors of Edo and Benue, John Oyegun and George Akume; former Minister for Works, Hassan Lawal and APC interim spokesperson, Chief Lai Mohammed, among other dignitaries.

Responding to the invitation by the APC, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, said the visit was significant, saying the country was currently at a turning point in its history as a nation.

The governor, who said  the people of  the state had a political structure formed over 40 years ago through hardwork, zeal and commitment of  late Saraki, added that the structure had consistently produced elected political leaders like governors, members of state and national assemblies, council chairmen and councilors, among others.

He said the structure had also produced an opposition government while in the ruling government, by moving all the members of the structure into the defunct UPN government in 1983 general election won by Chief Cornelius Adebayo.

The governor also emphasised that the structure had formed government under NPN, APP, SDP and PDP in the state, adding that they had a common leader in Saraki.

Governor Ahmed, who hoped the current crisis at the national level of the PDP would be resolved, expressed optimism that national interest would override self interest in the matter at the end of the day, to pave way for growth and development of the nation.