Date: 2018-02-05

A former member of the House of Representatives from Kwara State, Mr. Kola Shittu and the Kwara State Chairman of the People's Redemption Party, Prof. Mahmud Aliyu, have said the plan by the Peoples Democratic Party to recapture power by offering automatic tickets to woo national lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress to the PDP was not practicable.

They also noted that Nigerians were suffering, adding that it was imperative to improve the socio-economic situation of the country and the welfare of Nigerians.

While Aliyu said the recently inaugurated Coalition for Nigeria Movement or Third Force championed by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, was a political gimmick by old politicians to gain relevance, Shittu said there was nothing wrong in the coalition.

Shittu spoke during a media briefing with journalists on Sunday on the sidelines of his empowerment of about 150 individuals and groups from Offa in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, while Aliyu spoke during the PRP's media briefing in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Shittu said Nigerians were going through hardship, adding that he was motivated to empower the beneficiaries to improve their economic fortunes.

He said, "On automatic ticket, from my experience, that statement is not true. I am a two-term member of the House of Representatives. There are certain things that are said as a kind of propaganda. When you say you want to give automatic ticket to those who are there, there are some people at home who want to unseat those who are there now. It does not work like that. I will be surprised if officially any principal officer of the party had said that. Maybe it is just a rumour. It is not practicable with the way we play politics in Nigeria.

"As per Obasanjo's coalition, there is nothing wrong in the coalition. I hope it will materialise to be able to improve the progress of this country. That is what is most important. He (Obasanjo) has said that he does not have confidence in the PDP and the APC; that is his view.

"Some people believe that the APC can still be in government and do very well. We will begin to watch the situation. What everybody is fighting for is for Nigeria to be great and for us to have a very good economy with food on our table, unemployment highly reduced, and our infrastructure built. Something has started; we will see how it goes, If it is going to favour Nigerians, why not? If there are other things that will be better than that, why not; we are watching."