From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
Former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called on members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, to bury past differences and unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Saraki made the call in Ilorin when he hosted the Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Senator Saliu Mustapha, the PDP senatorial candidate for Kwara North, Dr Baba Giya Kolo, and their supporters at his residence.
Welcoming Mustapha, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, alongside Kolo and other supporters, Saraki described their decision to join forces with the opposition party as a courageous step towards rebuilding and advancing Kwara State.
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According to a statement by his Press Officer on Local Matters, Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, Saraki urged party members across the state to accommodate one another and work together regardless of previous political affiliations, ward or local government.
“There is no more G1 or G2; today, we belong to one big family and should operate as such,” Saraki said.
He noted, in a light-hearted remark, that Mustapha’s ability to recognise several PDP members by their faces and names showed that he had maintained a longstanding relationship with the party’s grassroots structure.
Saraki urged the PDP faithful to remain focused on the 2027 elections, identifying the APC administration under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, as the common political opponent that members must collectively work to defeat.
He also advocated inclusive governance and equitable distribution of political and developmental opportunities, charging PDP candidates to remember the sacrifices of the people if elected.
According to him, those who eventually emerge victorious must ensure that the dividends of democracy reach the people across the state, rather than concentrating opportunities in the hands of a few.
Mustapha, the Turaki Ngeri of Ilorin, recently resigned from the APC and joined the PDP, subsequently obtaining the party’s nomination form to contest the Kwara Central senatorial seat.
Kolo, popularly known as the Hasken Patigi, has also emerged as the PDP senatorial candidate for Kwara North.
Responding, Mustapha expressed appreciation to Saraki, the PDP State Working Committee led by Hon. Issa Bawa and party elders, for the warm reception accorded him and his supporters.
He pledged to work with the PDP leadership and members to wrest political power from the ruling party, describing his mission as part of efforts to end what he called “the dictatorship of a monster who believes Kwara is his personal property estate.”
Mustapha urged PDP members to close ranks and mobilise voters across the state, saying the party must work collectively to stop what he described as the governor’s “shenanigans”.
He said the ultimate objective should be to restore a political system in which elected officials recognise that political power belongs to the people.
“The power belongs to the people,” Mustapha said, stressing that governance in Kwara must be centred on the interests and welfare of its citizens.
The meeting is coming as the PDP intensifies efforts to consolidate its structure and position itself for a strong showing in the 2027 elections across Kwara State.
