The twin-event of the birth of a new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Offa local government rerun elections, which the ruling PDP swept have ignited series of political activities in the state of harmony – Kwara State.

Before the occurrence of the above major national and state events, political activities in the state had been at the lowest ebb.

After a dull political scene, political activism was restored by the Muslims long 30-day fast during the holy month of Ramadan. The scenario even continued after the Eid-el-fitr that marked the end of the fasting period.

But the dull political atmosphere has given way to series of political activities since Saturday (August 31,) when the G-7 governors and former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar walked out of the Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the PDP special convention and formed a parallel PDP led by an illustrious son of Ilorin, Alh. Abubakar Kawu Baraje.

The development at the PDP special convention coincided with a major political event in Kwara state – the rerun election for Offa local government area of the state.

Offa, from time immemorial, has been a stronghold of politicians opposed to the Saraki’s political dynasty. But on Saturday, August 31, the people of Offa turned their back at the opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) and voted massively for the ruling PDP’s candidates.

The PDP’s chairmanship and councillorship candidates in all the 12 wards that made up Offa local council were declared winners of the all-important election.

Immediately the news of the formation of a new PDP filtered into town, members of the Saraki political family, in their hundreds jumped into wild celebration. The reason for this is not far fetched, given the not too robust relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and Dr Bukola Saraki since the demise of former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua. Saraki was a strong ally of Yar’Adua when the former held sway as the nation’s president.

The celebration of the birth of the new PDP, had hardly settled down, when the state electoral body (KWSIEC) declared PDP’s candidates as winners of all the available seats in the chairmanship and councillorship seats of Offa local government area.

The celebrants needed no prompting as it was very clear to them that the emergence of Abubakar Kawu Baraje as the interim chairman of the new PDP was a pointer to the prominent role played by the state governor, Alh. AbdulFatah Ahmed in the formation of the new party.

Of course, the opposition figures in the state also played some roles in enlivening the hitherto dull political environment in the state.

Immediately after the KWSIEC declared the results of the Offa re-run elections, which the ruling PDP swept, the interim chairman of APC in the state, Comrade Shola Iji, its chairmanship candidate in the election, Prince Saheed Popoola reacted through press interview and press conference.

Even, the interim national publicity secretary of APC, Alh. Lai Mohammed who was in far away London as at the time the election was conducted also reacted via a statement, calling for the release of the ‘authentic results’ of the rerun poll.

Both the interim chairman of APC in the state and its chairmanship candidate in the rerun poll rejected the election results as announced by KWSIEC.

The duo also demanded for the release of the ‘authentic results’ of the poll which they said showed that APC did not only win the chairmanship seat but also won 11 of the 12 councillorship seats.

The APC leaders’ reaction was quickly followed by peaceful protests staged by the party’s members in Ilorin calling on KWSIEC to declare their candidates as winners of the election.

Governor Ahmed had since sworn in the PDP candidate in the election, Prince Segun Olanipekun as the duly elected chairman of Offa local government. The mammoth crowd of Offa people that attended the swearing in ceremony at the government house, Ilorin, was a pointer to the acceptability of the new council boss by the people of the community.

Also, on Monday, September 2, 2013, a mammoth crowd of PDP supporters gathered at the Ilorin International Airport to give Governor Ahmed a heroic welcome on his return from Abuja.

The heroic reception organised for Ahmed by the PDP faithful in the state was in appreciation of the role he played in the formation of the new PDP and the emergence of Alh. Abubakar Kawu Baraje as interim chairman of the new PDP.

However, the response of Governor Ahmed to questions posed to him by the newsmen at the airport clearly showed that the state may still witness more political activities in the days ahead.

Ahmed’s response to a reporter’s question indicated that there is a plan in the offing by some people who the governor dubbed “dissidents” to factionalise the state’s chapter of PDP.

The governor had warned that no splinter faction of the party will be allowed to thrive in the state.

He said the PDP-controlled government in the state has election-winning machinery.

“A few dissidents may think that this time is an opportunity for them to begin to create disharmony in the PDP system in Kwara state. They should know clearly as crystal that we have an election-winning machinery and that machinery has been used and it’s available.

“Those dissidents should get to know that they cannot come and start running parallel structure here . They will just be wasting their time, because we are a formidable force.

“In Kwara state, ours is not really a political party, we follow our leader. Election winning machinery is what we have. We have showed it before when we took power from ANPP to PDP and God is still with us”, he declared.