Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin

Senate President Bukola Saraki has said that the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state have all what it takes to win next year’s general elections.

Saraki said the party would not only sweep the elections in Kwara State, but would win the presidential election.

He asked his supporters not to be afraid of the use of ‘federal might’ in the forthcoming general election, pointing out that he had confronted such situations in two previous elections and floored the incumbents.

Saraki spoke at the inauguration of a 42-man Campaign Council for the state PDP at ABS constituency office, Ilorin.

The Senate President said while the 2019 election, like every other election, has its challenges, he maintained that experience has shown that with the right tactics and strategies, the PDP will win the state again.

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Said he, “Don’t be afraid; don’t create fears in your heart, I have heard all the talks of the opposition about using federal might.

“But we have seen it all. We saw it in 2003; we saw it in 2015 or don’t you know that they used federal might in 2015?

“In 2015 with federal might we defeated them. It was you people that God used then and in 2019 with those who have come to join us, we will defeat them again.”

Saraki, however, asked members of the Campaign Council to demonstrate utmost faithfulness in the discharge of their duties to achieve the desired results.

Saraki recalled that the mandate office had been the platform for every electoral victory of the party since 2003 and expressed confidence that God is with his political structure to win the next poll again.

“Every election has its challenges. But, we have what it takes to tackle it and once you are committed, victory is ours,” he said, and tasked the party on the need to implement a rigorous campaign to ensure everyone is reached.

Making reference to his political travails since the APC won the 2015 general elections, Saraki used his attitude to the crisis to plead with aggrieved members of the PDP to sheath their sword and work for the party’s victory, promising that there would be a better deal for Nigerians  under a government run by Alh. Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate.

According to Saraki, “It is only when the PDP is in power at the federal level that things can return to normal for suffering  Nigerians and the hope of the people properly addressed.

Earlier, Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed, had expressed confidence that the PDP would win the state in 2019, “using that astute leadership of the Senate President as it has always been done since 2003.”

In his acceptance speech on behalf of members of the Campaign Council, chairman of the council, Prof. Suleiman Abubakar, described their appointment as a call to service at a critical period in the history of the state and promised to give all it takes to ensure success for the endeavour.

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Abukakar, who was minister of National Planning prior to 2015 elections, said Saraki truly defeated his team with its federal might in that election and expressed confidence that now that they were working together in the same party, things would turn out much better.

Apart from the former minister, other leaders of the Campaign Council were Alh. Khaleel Bolaji to coordinate Kwara south, Alh. Issa Bawa (North) , Alh Ladi Edun (Central), Bode Ojomu, Director of Media and Publicity; Comrade Ben Duntoye, Director of Youths and Alh Isiaka Danmairomo, Director of Campaigns, among others.