From LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin
Kwara state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has joined all other states in the North Central zone to endorse candidature of the former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as the sole candidate for the presidential election come 2023.
Speaking at the weekend in a crowded reception held for team members of the team of the North Central Presidency Agenda, led by a former governor of Kwara state, Mohammad Shaba Lafiagi, said that there was a consensus agreement among all states in the North Central zone visited so far that Saraki should contest 2023 presidency.
Lafiagi also said that advocacy visits to states in the North Central zone had yielded fruits in favour of candidature of Senator Saraki for President, adding that some PDP members pledged not to work for any other presidential aspirant except Saraki.
Also speaking, another member of the team, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, who was a former acting national chairman of the PDP, said that antecedents of Senator Saraki as two-term goverrnor and a Senate President had given him the edge among all others.
“We are out advocating for a single ticket of the North Central zone of the PDP for our own Senator Saraki. We have toured all the states in the zone and Kwara is the last state to visit in the zone. We now have the agreement that the North Central will have one candidate come 2023 for the presidential election in PDP.
“As we all know, everyone cannot be fooled. So, for all the states in the zone to have picked Senator Bukola Saraki as sole PDP presidential candidate for 2023 elections, it shows that they know the quality he’s made of. Not only that Saraki had been a two-term governor of Kwara state and we all know that the development activities put in place while in office are the ones still there in the state.
“Also, he’s been Senator and Senate President fighting for the masses of this country. It’s no longer news. Everyone knows that. He was ensuring that due process was followed. Not only that, he was the one telling the truth to the executive. Telling how things should be. He didn’t lead a rubber-stamp Senate. We all can compare his own term with what’s happening now. These are some of the things people have seen in him making them to back him”.
Baraje also said that, “other North Central states had always come to us for assistance before now and we had always given them the assistance and support. Now, we have come out and we’re seeking their own support too”.
In his speech at the event, the state PDP chairman, Alhaji Babatunde Mohammed, said that the entire PDP is behind Saraki to realize the dream.
“Come 2023, we’ll win back Kwara state and get presidential ticket to Saraki and win North Central for PDP come 2023”, he said.
Some of the dignitaries at the event include former ambassador to Japan, Ambassador Gana Yisa, former political office holders and party chieftains.