Saraki’s rumoured return to PDP triggers protest in Kwara

Rumours that Senate President and former Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki may soon be defecting to his former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led to a protest in the state on Monday.

There have been rumours that Saraki, his former special adviser on Special Duties and Parliamentary Affairs, Alhaji Moshood Mustapha (popularly known as MM); and his supporters in the state are planning to dump the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition PDP.

Sequel to the rumours, some youths were seen on the sidelines of a media briefing by a PDP group, Face of Change, displaying placards with different inscription opposing the rumored return of Saraki and his supporters to the PDP.

‘No to Bukola Saraki and cronies in the PDP,’ ‘MM defection is a liability,’ ‘PDP exco, shine your eyes,’ and ‘PDP gov ticket is not for sale,’ were inscriptions on some of the placards.

Meanwhile, the state coordinator, Face of Change, Alhaja Kubrat Abdullateef, told newsmen in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, that the protesters were on their own and not part of the conference.

According to her, the protesters were merely expressing their own personal views.

“What we are trying to do is that we do not want a repeat of what had happened in the past when Bukola Saraki planted his cronies in our party and we had a very rancorous primary. We are guarding against that and we do not want a repeat of that. Those who are carrying placards, that is their personal opinion.

“With the spate of incidents over the last couple of weeks, it seems the party is apathetic to anti-party (activities). As much as we welcome new members into our party, it is important to highlight the fact that there is a laid-down process that allows one to be a member of our party,” Abdullateef said.

Also addressing journalists, the state secretary of the PDP, Mr. Gidado Alakawa, explained that the PDP was not opposed to the entry of new members or the return of former members, but said that new members and returnees must abide by the constitution, process and procedures of the party.

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“Everything we do in this party follows certain procedures and rules. To that extent, there is always this opportunity for free entry and free exit. There should not be anything personal about people coming into the party. Generally, people that want to come to the party are free to come as long as they are ready to work with the rules and regulations that guide entry into the party,” he said.

Saraki and his group of senators who dumped the PDP for the APC ahead of the 2015 election was a major factor that led PDP to lose control of power at the Federal level in 2015.

Insinuations are rife that Saraki and his supporters in his home Kwara State and even at the Senate are plotting to dump the APC to enable the Senate President possibly pursue his presidential ambition on his the platform of former party.

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