Date: 2019-03-04

Barely a week to the Governorship and House of Assembly elections, over 2, 500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ilorin West and Asa local government of Kwara.

While over 2, 000 PDP members defected in Ilorin, 500 defected to the APC in Asa local government.

The defection in Ilorin took place on Sunday at Taiwo area and was led by leader of the group, Mr Bamidele Aluko, a former member of the State House of Assembly and a staunch foot soldier of Sen Bukola Saraki.

They were received by chieftains of APC, Alhaji Kunle Suleiman and Mr Olawoyin Magaji.

Aluko was also the chairman of the Kwara United Football Club and the PDP leader in Badari Ward of Ilorin West, the most populated local government area of Kwara State.

Other top defectors include Alhaji Alao Abdulyekeen, another PDP top gun from Baboko area of Ilorin, and Akeem Dare youth leader from Balogun Fulani ward 1.

The mass defection took place in Taiwo area of Ilorin, led by Mr Bamidele Aluko, a former House of Assembly member and a staunch foot soldier of Sen. Bukola Saraki.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that similar defection took place last Tuesday where over 500 PDP members from Osin Wara, Osin Egbejila ward and others declared allegiance to the APC in Surulere.

Aluko said the outcome of the National Assembly elections was the clearest manifestation that Kwarans had decided to reject and retire Sen.Bukola Saraki for reasons of bad governance, oppression and non-inclusive leadership.

"Our people are tired. Salaries don't get paid in the true sense of the word and the infrastructure on the ground is not commensurate with the resources the state has received over the years.

"Worst still, people are tired of leaders who see everything from their own comfort zone.

"People are tired of the status quo. They are angry and fed up with dictatorial leadership and the result is what you just said," Aluko said.

NAN also reports that the governorship candidate of the ANRP in Kwara, Dr AbdulMumeen Ajia,has also declared support for the governorship candidate of the APC, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Ajia, a leading candidate with appreciable following among the youths, announced his resignation from the ANRP in a statement on Sunday in Ilorin.

He said AbdulRazaq's victory would turn a new page for the political history of Kwara for better.

Ajia said the programme and manifesto of APC governorshil candidate.tallied with his dream for the state.

He said, "The situation in Kwara is really not about party, but our struggle against retrogressive leadership as a people."

He, therefore,called on his supporters to deliver their block votes for the APC candidates, come March 9 elections.

"I have also gone through his manifesto and I am assured that the progressive, people-centred Kwara that I envisioned can be kick-started under his leadership," Ajia said. (NAN)