Saraki Snr Vs Saraki Jr: Oloye Dumps PDP, Moves Supporters To ACPN
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 02, (THEWILL) – The strongman of Kwara politics, Dr Olusola Saraki popularly called Oloye has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for a relatively unknown political party, The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), formally parting ways with his son and State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki (PDP), following disagreements over Oloye’s plan to install Senator Gbemisola Saraki as the next Kwara State Governor.
Addressing his supporters at his Ile-Arugbo, Iloffa, GRA, Ilorin, residence today, Oloye declared the PDP dead in Kwara State adding that he would meet his son, Bukola and the PDP on the field on election day.
“The Peoples Democratic Party is officially dead and buried in Kwara State. Now that they have eased us out of the PDP, the party is officially dead. There is no more PDP here. For now we are joining the ACPN, though we are still talking with other parties.”
He told his supporters to discard their PDP membership cards calling it a party that ‘lacks cohesion, focus, and bereft of ideas on how to carry supporters along and win elections.’
“We now have a PDP that lacks cohesion, focus, and bereft of ideas on how to carry supporters along and win elections. The situation is so bad to the extent that most decisions of the party are based on sentiments instead of having recourse to party guidelines and all known democratic norms.
“Those who are not involved in the building of the party now capitalize on the inexperience of the leadership to perpetrate themselves and turn themselves into tin gods to decide the fate of the real people on the political turf.
“I was the one you voted for in 1999, 2003 and 2007; but since they have decided to treat us like this, we will move to a party that will favour us and not suffer us the way PDP is doing,” the politician said.
Continuing, he was quick to say, “Bukola has told me he has no candidate. We will meet whoever the PDP throws up in the field. We won’t fight but we will defeat them with votes. We don’t know the lineage and pedigree of those that are now behaving like tin gods. Bukola does not stay at home.
“When you told me you wanted Bukola in 2003, I told you he was not a politician, but you said it was him you wanted. Now you are saying you want Gbemi. When I told him Gbemi would take over from him, he said no problem. I called him and asked him, do you know anybody who is better than Gbemi?
“I should be recuperating after undergoing a surgery in my right leg, but I can’t afford to leave behind a Kwara I cannot be proud of. Those we do not know their fathers are now the ones abusing me,” Saraki said in a bitter tone.
At the gathering were Oloye’s daughter and Governorship aspirant, Senator Gbemisola Saraki and other politicians. Governor Bukola Saraki was absent.