By Mumini AbdulKareem
The camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state further suffered a significant depletion yesterday as hundreds of kinsmen of the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, Iyiola Oyedepo dumped him for Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.
The kinsmen from the entire 11 wards in Isin local government who stormed Mandate Constituency Office to pledge their allegiance to Saraki maintained that the PDP is very much on ground contrary to the utterances of Oyedepo.
They also promised to deliver the local government for the Senate President.
According to them, the former PDP chairman will be defeated in his polling booth adding that Oyedepo has no political value in the local government except on radio.
Led by former Isin local government chairman, Chief Michael Oyinloye and former member of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Ayo Idowu, the visit was a major boost for the Saraki political dynasty in the local government.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hon Idowu said the Isin PDP members decided to stay back in the party with Saraki as their leader because of the latter’s outstanding performance as governor of Kwara State and as the Senate President.
“I want to assure you that 95 per cent of PDP members in Isin are with the Senate President. We shall deliver 100 per cent votes to PDP and our leader in 2019.”
In his remarks, Oyinloye debunked insinuations that the PDP is dead in Isin following the defection of Oyedepo to the APC.
“We are the ones behind Oyedepo and we have refused to follow him to APC because we believe in Saraki’s leadership”, he said.
Mrs Juliana Adebara who spoke on behalf of the women, also corroborated the position of other stakeholders adding that the people of Isin remain in PDP and shall work for the success of the party and Saraki in 2019.
Earlier, the Director General of ABS Constituency Office, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, said that the dynasty is happy to receive the good people of Isin into Saraki’s camp.
According to him, “We are particularly delighted that people from Isin, where former PDP chairman, Oyedepo comes from have come to Ilorin to pledge their allegiance to our leader, Dr Bukola Saraki.
“On behalf of the Senate President, I want to assure you of fair treatment by the Saraki dynasty. We wholeheartedly welcome you to PDP under the leadership of Saraki. If this large number can come to Saraki’s fold from Isin local government, then there is no cause for alarm”, he submitted.
