By Mumini AbdulKareem
The leadership of the Ilorin Emirate Descendant Progressives Union (IEDPU) has summoned all Kwara State gubernatorial aspirants that hail from the Emirate over the excessive number of the contestants.
The summon which was reportedly at the instance of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari was held at the residence of the former Grand Kadi, Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Abdulkadir Orire.
Many of the aspirants were said to have halted their campaigns to honour the summon, Tuesday afternoon.
A gubernatorial aspirant who spoke on the issue in confidence with National Pilot said the union expressed worry over the large number of contestants while seeking for ways to avoid acrimony or security breach irrespective of the outcome of the primaries.
He added that the invitees arrived the venue at interval adding that some of those not that are not in town sent in representatives.
He said they were advised to see their aspirations as Kwara project before anything and not to overheat the polity or create unnecessary tension over their ambitions.
“Yes, we were summoned and it was an emergency. Some of us have to cut short our campaigns to attend. The IEDPU expressed worry and noted that this dispensation presents the highest number of aspirants vying for the seat since the creation of the state. They expressed worry over the impact on the already tense security situation in the state and the need for us who sons and daughters of the emirate to see our aspirations as that of the state irrespective of party”, the source added.
Reacting on behalf of the PDP in one of the sessions, a governorship aspirant, Barr. Saka Isau assured the union that the leadership of the party and also the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki is not known for violence.
But when contacted on the issue, the President of IEDPU last night, Amb. AbdulAzeez Uthman declined comment and insisted that the reporter should come to the union’s secretariat.
