Kwara: Saraki Surrenders, Backs Out of Guber Election

By Bernard Bayo

There’s no end to the misfortunes of Senate President, Bukola Saraki’s in his home state, Kwara. Barely one week after he lost his senatorial seat to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC has backed out of the March 9 governorship election in the Harmony state.

The APC won in all the 16 local governments in the state.

In a swift reaction to the electoral defeat suffered by the PDP, the former governor has instructed his supporters not to participate in the coming election in two weeks.

His candidate for election and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rasak Atunwa has said he will not participate in the election.

According to a statement, the PDP governorship candidate said it was no longer necessary to participate in the election in view of what happened during the presidential and national assembly election on February 23.

The statement signed by the Kwara PDP Campaign Directorate said “the withdrawal is in regards to the wishes of Kwarans as widely expressed last Saturday.”

The PDP said the people of Kwara, by that decision, decided to usher in a new era into the state’s politics and so” after extensive consultations with leaders and members of our party, we have concluded that it is no longer necessary to participate in the ongoing transitional process.

The outcome of the last Saturday’s exercise had clearly indicated the choice of Kwarans.

As a people and a party that had benefitted from this choice in the past. It is our unanimous desire to respect the people’s choice,” the party said.

The PDP however urged the people of the state to participate in the election.

“As a result of this, we urge Kwarans to go out enmass to vote for candidates of their choices and wish the incoming government well,” the statement also said.

Meanwhile, the magazine learned that the decision to back out of the election may not be unconnected with rumor that supporters of the two major political parties are prepared for a bloody clash during the election.

it was learned that Saraki and PDP have got wind of plan by the ruling APC to intimidate their supporters, using the state’s security apparatus like the police and army ” in view of this, we decided that there was no need to shed the blood of our people needlessly” a PDP stalwart told the magazine in Ilorin, following the announcement.