President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday in Ilorin said he was in Kwara to champion the freedom of the people from political and socio-economic oppression.

The President said this while addressing the crowd that received him at the Unity Rally organised by the PDP in the State.

"As from today, everybody in Kwara State is free because PDP is not owned by anybody but by the people themselves'', he said.

President Jonathan, who re-christened the unity rally as Freedom Rally, also declared that "god-fatherism'', imposition of candidates, personalisation of political party and impunity were dead in the PDP.

PDP, according to Jonathan, serves the people and not individuals in the party, "we don't have dictators in PDP.''

The President described the PDP as the only party that could liberate the people of Kwara from the shackles of oppression from few individuals.

He said it was only in PDP that somebody like him from humble beginning can aspire and become the president of the country.

The President told the crowd that Nigerians believed in the PDP because it was the only party that members could actualise their aspirations and liberate the people.

He stressed that in politics, the people mattered a lot, over and above individual interests, adding that "PDP gives its elected governors total freedom to govern their states.''

Jonathan assured the people that PDP was a formidable political party that could take the country and Kwara to greater heights.

He received chieftains of other political parties who defected to the PDP.

They included the ACN governorship candidate in 2011 election, Mr Dele Belgore, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq, the CPC governorship candidate and Sen. Gbemisola Saraki.

Others were Rev Bumi Olusaon, Interim State Chairman of APC and Princess Bilikis Gambari, Senatorial candidate for CPC in Kwara central.

The Vice President, Namadi Sambo, speaking at the occasion, expressed appreciation to the people of the state for coming out in large numbers to receive the President.

According to him, the crowd at the rally demonstrated that Kwara was indeed a PDP state.

"The turnout is a clear indicator of the transformation agenda of President Jonathan, which has touched the lives of the people in areas of agriculture and education at all levels.

According to the Vice President, President Jonathan's intervention in agriculture gave Kwara success in rice production as it produced 1.1 million tons of rice in 2013.

National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, said the PDP would win all elections in the state come 2015.

Muazu described PDP as the party of the moment and not a party of the future, calling on the people not to join party of the future.

Senate President David Mark expressed happiness about the turnout of people at the rally.

He said he had gone round states and the one he saw in Imo was nothing compared to the crowd in Ilorin.

According to him, he had earlier nursed fear of people not coming to receive the President.

He said he made a mistake by asking Sen. Simeon Ajibola, whether or not people would turn out, but added that the crowd was a clear testimony that PDP was not dead in Kwara.

On the President's team were members of PDP national executive council, led by the chairman, Adamu Muazu, BOT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, Chairman, PDP Governors' Forum, Godswill Akpabio and Niger State Gov. Babangida Aliyu.

Others were Liyel Imoke of Cross River, Deputy Governor of Sokoto, Alhaji Muktar Shagari and his Kogi counterpart, Yomi Awoniyi.

They were received by the Caretaker Committee led by its Chairman, Solomon Edojah, Presidential aides, Mrs Sarah Jubril, Senators Ajadi Makanjuola, Simeon Ajibola and Hajia Muinat Sagaya. (NAN)