Abdulfatah Ahmed, the Kwara state governor, revealed Thursday that linking him and Bukola Saraki, the Senate president, to the April 5 bank robberies in Offa and an outright marginalisation of the state in the scheme of things in Muhammadu Buhari’s government were part of the reasons they left the ruling All Progressives Congress for the Peoples Democratic Party.
Ahmed accused the federal government of engaging in political persecution and victimisation of the party’s leadership in Kwara, adding that the APC failed to meet the wishes and aspirations of the people of the state.
Ahmed revealed these, according to Sahara Reporters, when addressing women and youths, under the auspices of Kwara Agenda, who staged a solidarity rally round major roads in the state on Thursday.
The governor, who received the supporters at the gate of the Government House, said his and Saraki’s defection from the APC was part of the agenda to develop and move Kwara State forward.
He accused some party leaders of nursing private and personal agenda.
Ahmed said, “Most of the political appointments at the federal level were done without any input or consideration from the state party stakeholders and in flagrant neglect of established principles of Federal Character.
“The problem became compounded with ceaseless litigations and harassment of me and the Senate President with the insinuation of complicity in the condemnable Offa robberies.
“The Government House is the seat of government of the people, and the people have come here to tell us their views on what they want us to do. I want to assure you like I have always said, your voice is our voice.
“On our part, we will continue within the timeframe left to increase our support for the government business by delivering goods and services to the people in infrastructure, health and in the economy.
“We will also ensure that we have a very comfortable and convenient political environment so that the aspirations of everybody will be encapsulated in this so that Kwara will continue to be great under our leadership.
“I want to assure you that your message is well received and it is part of the agenda with which we want to move Kwara forward.”
The supporters met Ahmed after marching through the streets of Ilorin, carrying placards that discredited the APC.
Their spokesman, Yakub Kannike, said Saraki would always win any election in the state notwithstanding his political platform.
“In Kwara, Saraki is our political party and we shall always vote for his party and candidates,” Kannike said.