Favour Raphael
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State on Saturday held its state congress at Arca Santa Hall, Ilorin, where new executive members were elected to steer the affairs of the party.
The congress, monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was adjudged peaceful. The exercise was conducted by an electoral panel led by Chairman Mark Jacob.
Former Senate President and PDP leader in the state, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, delivered a keynote address in which he accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led state government of failing to tackle insecurity.
“Today, Kwara State is in a precarious state, a state being overrun by bandits, kidnappers and killers, while the government maintained a posture of apathy and nonchalance” he said.
Saraki lamented that insecurity in Kwara had worsened under the present administration, warning that the state risked becoming “a one-town state” if the trend continued.
According to Saraki, unlike neighbouring states, Kwara’s rising insecurity is a result of “incompetence, lack of capacity, and failure” on the part of the government. He argued that no meaningful progress in jobs, education, or development could be achieved without first addressing security.
Saraki urged the newly elected PDP executives to mobilise grassroots support ahead of the 2027 elections, assuring that the party remains capable of providing security and good governance.
He also appealed for unity within the PDP, calling on members to welcome back defectors and work together for the party’s victory.
“What is at stake is too serious for us to allow individual ambitions to divide us,” he said. “We must return Kwara to the path of harmony and safety.”
The congress ended with the formal swearing-in of the new executive members, marking a fresh chapter for the opposition party in Kwara State.
