BY CALEB AYANSINA

STAKEHOLDERS of   the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kwara State, have commenced moves to fill the vacuum left by the departure of Senator Bukola Saraki and his associates from the party.

At the stakeholders’ meeting convened in Abuja, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the state chapter of the party, Solomon Edojah told party dignitaries and elected office holders that though difficult, it was possible to dislodge Senator Saraki’s grip on the state. He, however, lamented the unwillingness of some including the Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi to join the campaign.

Edojah said the caretaker committee would soon hold a rally for the purpose of identifying all those with the party and those still identifying with Senator Saraki, adding, “We need to whittle down Saraki’s power, though they are making serious overture to come back. I told the party leadership that it is better to work with people in our hands than to rely on the same structure that has played game with us.”

Sen. Saraki

He noted that in the process of restoring the party in the state, nobody would be left out of the ongoing consultation by the committee, in spite of lackadaisical attitude by some stakeholders. He said, “I met with the minister who is supposed to be doing the work I am doing now, but he told me that he is not a politician and he does not want to get himself involved in what we are doing. We are not going to leave any structure unturned. We will consult widely and would not look down on anybody. It has been 40 years of their dynasty, but now it is liberation movement in Kwara. We are going to call all to our rally, for us to see those that are going and to know who are with us; because I know some are sitting on the fence.”

Edojah disagreed with the opinion that there was a mass defection in the state from PDP to All Progressive Congress (APC), explaining that while some left in body, their spirits remained in the PDP. Also speaking, Senator Simeon Ajibola, representing Kwara South urged other party loyalists to play down their individual ambitions, and pursue genuine restoration of the party.