Minister of National Planning, Dr. Olanrewaju Sulaiman, has pledged to lead the struggle to liberate Kwara State from the grip of a former state Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Sulaiman made the pledge in Abuja, on Saturday evening,  at a prayer/reception held for him in Utako area of Abuja by Kwara State indigenes, who are members and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said President Goodluck Jonathan, specifically mandated him to rescue Kwara from the Saraki’s political grip last week Wednesday after he was sworn in as a minister.

He said, “After being sworn in as minister, President Jonathan mandated me to be at the forefront of rescue operation of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party, is set to carry out in our dear state, Kwara, for the greatest good of the greatest number of people of the state.

“Our people have over the years been subjected to political slavery and internal colonialism by forces currently ruling the state through a stolen mandate.

“While giving me the mandate the president said, you are coming in at a time that can be described as injury time in a football match, requiring a very vital goal from you which you must score to deliver Kwara back to PDP come, 2015 general elections.”

He described the crowd that attended the reception hosted in his honour as a clear indication that the rescue operation would be successful.

He added that two chiefs of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State had defected to the PDP shortly after he was sworn in as a minister.

He said the defectors included a former Senator and  a Senior Special Assistant to Saraki when he was governor of the state.

Sulaiman said the defectors would be unveiled in Ilorin at a grand reception being planned for him by party supporters after the Sallah celebration.

He denied rumours that the party had been enmeshed in crisis in the state because of  his appointment, stressing  that the party had been more united and stronger since May this year, when the  Freedom rally was held in Ilorin with unprecedented crowd of supporters.