On Saturday 25th September, 2021, the Kwara State chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) commenced preparation for the 2023 election with the conduct of its ward congresses held in the 193 wards across the state.
The exercise followed the decision of the national leadership of the party which announced about a week before that the congress will be conducted in nine states of the federation.
According to the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), the timetable and schedule of activities for year 2021 party congresses in the nine states has been approved.
The party’s statement issued by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan while explaining further said the tenure of the excos of eight of the states elected in 2017 is expiring soon. He went ahead to explain why it would hold in only nine out of the thirty six states in the country.
“In the case of Lagos, Oyo, Adamawa, Kebbi, Borno, Kogi, Osun and Kwara states, the tenure of the excos by Section 47(1) of the PDP Constitution (as amended) would be expiring, having been elected in 2017. For clarity, Kogi state congresses are to hold only in Wards and Local Governments it will hold in some respective wards only in Osun.
“However, for Ebonyi, congress would be conducted to elect new EXCOs following the dissolution of the state structure due to political realignments occasioned by the defection of the state governors and others to another party,” he said.
To this end, ward excos and three ad-hoc delegates were elected on Saturday while the Local Government Congresses to elect Local Government Excos and National Delegates and the State Congresses have been scheduled to come up in October.
Prior to the exercise in Kwara, the party through a statement by its publicity secretary, Tunde Ashaolu said “All arrangements have been concluded by the PDP towards the exercise and urged party members to go out en masse to participate in the exercise to elect party officers at the ward levels.
According to him, it is expected that as it is the usual practice in the PDP, party members will conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and eschew any form of violence.
While expressing optimism that the congress would be hitch-free, Ashaolu assured that the party’s internal mechanism would be deployed to resolve whatever issue that arises from the exercise.
And true to the statement/advice of Ashaolu, the PDP ward congress witnessed mammoth crowd across all the wards in the state. Officials from the PDP National Headquarters’ and representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also supervised the exercise.
Following the consensus arrangement earlier adopted by the party, the exercise not only attracted massive turnout, it was also very peaceful with the delegates affirming the names of the leaders that had been agreed upon before Saturday during the exercise.
Across all the wards visited across the metropolis from Ajikobi, Alanamu, Oko-Erin, Adewole, Magaji-Ngeri, Oloje, Oju Ekun/Zarumi and Ibagun among others, there was peaceful conduct from the delegates, officials and party members.
Although the National leader of the party and immediate past Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki was not on ground, the PDP showed coordination and was able to silence the expectation of the ruling party and critics who had expected to see a disorganized and crisis-ridden exercise.
Even some of the grievances raised by few party members were not only addressed and dusted before Saturday, the internal resolution mechanism deployed by Saraki was so profound that there was not a single place across the state that witnessed outright rejection of results across the state.
Speaking on the congress, the Director-General, Mandate Office of Saraki, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi described it as a very successful exercise.
“This is to show that the people are very aware and alive to their responsibilities. They are also conversant of the goodies the PDP has in store for them come 2023.
For his part, the newly elected ward chairman in Ajikobi, Abubakar Garba said the peaceful conduct of the exercise is a sign that towards 2023 and if the unity and harmony that produced the new executive can be maintained, 2023 is the year for the PDP in the state.
Another elected exco member, Olarewaju Kamaldeen, said the people are very happy with the new leadership. Kamaldeen said the residents are not happy with the situation of things in the state adding that the structure of the PDP with the leadership of the national leader, Dr Bukola Saraki will deliver come 2023.
At Alanamu ward, the newly elected chairman, Alhaji Dauda Jack expressed satisfaction with the consensus arrangement which produced the leaders. He said the ward congress has shown that the PDP hold that ace in the 2023 election.
Also, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Abosioyoyan while expressing his satisfaction told National Pilot that the massive turnout and well coordinated exercise attest to the fact that the grassroots is with the PDP and it is poised to return to power in 2023.
Impressed with the conduct of the exercise, former Senator who represented Kwara South in the 8th Assembly, Rafiu Ibrahim particularly appreciated the role of leader of the party, Dr Bukola Saraki, elders, stakeholders and all party faithful across the state adding that it showed that “Indeed, power belongs to the people.”
But away from the accolades by the party’s leaders, political observers have weighed in on the implication of the ward congress towards the fortunes of the PDP in 2023.
The breakdown is that with the well coordinated and massive turnout, the PDP has demonstrated that it is still very much on ground in the state despite all the attempts by the incumbent administration to heap its uninspiring performance thus far on the members and leaders of the opposition party.
The party has clearly demonstrated that it remains the strongest platforms for the opposition to return to power in the next rounds of elections come 2023 in the state.
And the buildup to the 2023 contest has been geometric. Starting from the Eid incident where the larger part of the populace rejected the APC, its leadership and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for the open endorsement of Saraki.
But for the “advice/wisdom” by the officials of the ruling party that the administration should cancel the Ilorin Durbar scheduled for following day after the Eid statement, the embarrassment which started at the prayer ground would have been completed by Saraki and the PDP supporters on the present administration at the Durbar ceremony that was however not to be.
While thanking its members for still believing in the party despite all the shenanigans of its opponent, the PDP noted that the leadership was very impressed by the turnout and conduct of members during the congress.
“As a party that respects due process and is committed to internal democracy, we welcome the choices made by delegates during the ward congress.
“The ward congress is part of several efforts we are taking as a party to strengthen our support base at the grassroots and also build a formidable party that is ready to take over power from the clueless All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
“We appreciate leaders, elders and relevant stakeholders within the party especially our national leader, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, for their contributions towards the successful conduct of the ward congress.
“We also commend party members for demonstrating maturity, understanding and cooperation before, during and after the exercise that took place across the State. This is a reflection of the unity, understanding and respect that dwell within the Kwara PDP family”, it submitted.
