Alhaji Bala Mahmud, the head of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, and his throngs of party members yesterday defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in advance of the state’s 2023 elections.
Mahmud, a former member of the 14-member committee on the Patigi/Lafiagi crisis established by the state government, claimed that he and his supporters switched from the APC to the PDP because of the former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki’s leadership abilities, and the PDP’s choice to zone the governorship ticket to the Kwara North senatorial district in advance of the state’s 2019 elections.
The defectors are from Patigi town, the headquarters of Patigi LGA of the state.
They were later received into the PDP fold by the former Ambassador to Japan and former governorship aspirant of the party, Professor Mohammed Yisa Gana.
Speaking at the event at Patigi, the leader of the defectors, Mahmud, said their decision was based on the zeal of the PDP as the only political party that gave Kwara North the opportunity it has been looking for.
He said:-
“We’ve come to join the only party that has proven to us that Kwara North is also part of Kwara State.
“I want to assure the leadership of the party that we will join hands with our people in other local government councils in Kwara North to deliver massively for the party governorship candidate, Alhaji Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi.”
Receiving the defectors, the former governorship aspirant of PDP, Professor Gana, said: “The 11th hour money politics embarked upon by the present administration in the state will not sway our people.
“We are determined to produce the next governor for this state and no going back.
“When you talk of political structure in Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki owns it, and when you need to discuss a leader with leadership prowess, it’s him.”
