Date: 2018-06-19

Ahead of 2019 general elections, a governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Ajia, has cautioned the party against internal wrangling and acrimony.

He stated that an opposition like PDP cannot secure victory over the All Progressives Congress (APC) with pervasive division among members.

Ajia said this in Ilorin yesterday at a gathering commemorating Sallah celebration where he distributed hundreds of bag rice and souvenirs to party faithful across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.

The PDP gubernatorial aspirant noted that there was no way the party could embark on a war fragmented and expect to defeat the ruling party.

He challenged party chairmen in local government areas to reconcile aggrieved members and work with unity of purpose and sense of direction.

Ajia also called on party faithful to work as a team ahead of the primary elections and ensure that the best candidate emerged to fly the flag of the party in the polls.

"I urge you all, let us know that the unity of this party is the first thing that can give us victory. For those of you who are enjoying peace in your own local governments, you need to tell others and teach them how you have done it so that when we have a one party we can face the war. You can't go to a war with a divided house. This thing is giving me a lot of concern.

"I think the elders are ready now; they have shown concern that they want this party to be united. So, party chairmen across local governments, the time is now to work together. Let us kick start.

"From now on, everybody will take a responsibility. Let us be talking on how we can make sure that we have a successful primary election and a united political party to face the problem of the state.

"The war before us is not a small war, and here again, we are fragmented. So, this is the thing that gives me concern from time to time. Let us go into partnership, let us sign a social contract, so that we can have a new Kwara, where a son of nobody can become somebody, where you don't need to know somebody before you can buy forms and say you want to represent your people anywhere. This is the Kwara of my dream.

"A Kwara where a local government chairman can live in his local government headquarters, a Kwara where a commissioner on Friday will be eager to close from work and go back to his local government.

"It is time for us to tidy up our trousers. We need to put politics aside. We need to identify the potentials in all the individuals that are out", Ajia said.

The PDP governorship aspirant also enjoined the youth to leverage on the opportunity provided by Not Too Young to Run Act, which was recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari and vie for elective positions of their choice.