Former Kwara State governor Bukola Saraki has said that he advised National Chairman of PDP Alhaji Bamanga Tukur to avoid any unnecessary conflict with his state governor Murtala Nyako.  

Saraki, who has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this while interacting with supporters of the defunct PDP at his Iloffa residence.

The former governor and Senator representing Kwara Central in the National Assembly said that rather ensuring harmonious relationship with his state governor, Tukur embarked on a conflict with Nyako, dissolving one state executive after another. 

He said he dumped the party along with five other governors after losing faith "in the ability of the Tukur-led executive to uphold the sanctity of the people's interest". 

The Senator told his supporters that the defection to the APC was necessitated by the need to sustain the collective interest of the people of the state and not out of selfish interest.
Meanwhile, the defection of Saraki to APC has deepened the division in the state chapter of the party.

While a faction loyal to former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Mr. Dele Belgore protested the planned hand-over of the party structure to Saraki, another faction pledged their cooperation to Saraki and Governor Ahmed.

Addressing a press conference on Monday on behalf of Belgore's group, Rev. Bunmi Olusona said the group is "against the party's leadership collective resolve to cede the party machinery to the hands of Saraki and their cronies".

But some stakeholders of the APC met and resolved "to recognize the pre-eminence of his Excellency, the Executive Governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed, Sen. Bukola Saraki and all other stakeholders" in the party.

The communiqué was jointly signed by Alhaji Taiwo Eleja, Alhaji Suleiman Buhari, Chief Kayode Olawepo, Abdulrasheed Taiwo, all former chairmen of defunct ANPP, CPC, ACN and APGA as well as two APC members in the House of Assembly, Hon. Tope Olayonu, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, among others.