Stakeholders and gubernatorial aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State have opposed the micro- zoning adopted by the leadership of the party to pick its gubernatorial candidate.
It was gathered that the stakeholders and concerned gubernatorial aspirants have conveyed their rejection of the micro- zoning arrangement to the leadership of the party in the state and the national leader of the party, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
The PDP had earlier zoned its gubernatorial ticket to Kwara north comprising Baruten, Kaiama, Edu, Patigi and Moro local government areas.
But, the leadership of the party last weekend announced its decision to micro zone the gubernatorial ticket to Moro, Edu and Patigi axis of Kwara north, excising the remote border communities of Baruten and Kaiama from the contest.
The Moro, Edu and Patigi axis had once produced the state’s civilian governor in 1991 when Alh Mohammed Sha’abs Lafiagi was elected as the state governor under the banner of the then Saraki- controlled Social Democratic Party. The Kaiama and Baruten axis has never produced a state governor.
Some high ranking stalwarts of the PDP in Baruten, Kaiama axis confirmed to our reporter that:” We have rejected the micro zoning of the PDP governorship ticket and we have conveyed our feelings to the leadership of the party.
“Our demand is that all the party’s gubernatorial aspirants from Kwara north should be allowed to obtain nomination forms and participate in a transparent primary. We will do everything humanly possible to resist the injustice being meted out to Baruten, Kaiama axis through the micro zoning”.
Meanwhile,scores of the aggrieved members of PDP in the statea have initiated moves to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
It was gathered that the PDP members were disappointed over the manner the party’s leadership handled the selection of the candidates that will flag the party’s banners during the 2023 general elections.
Some of the aggrieved members of the opposition party confided in us that the shoddy handling of the PDP’s primaries has dashed their hope on the come back bid of the party come 2023.
It was gathered that majority of those planning to dump PDP are from Kwara central and north senatorial districts.
“We are not happy about the micro zoning arrangements which edged out vibrant, experienced and leading aspirants from Baruten/ Kaiama axis of Kwara north from the governodhip primaries. Our people in Baruten and Kaiama are not happy about this development. The supporters of our governorship aspirants in Kwara central are not also happy. This is why some of us have commenced moves to defect to the APC,” the sources added.
When contacted, a leader of the party in the state who craved anonymity, said :” the complaint of our people from Baruten, Kaiama axis is coming a bit late. Some other decisions had been taking following the adoption of the micro zoning arrangements. One of the aspirants from that axis has been given the senatorial ticket as a compensation for them. Some of these decisions cannot be reversed.”
The leading PDP gubernatorial aspirants from Baruten, Kaiama axis include a former chairman of the House of Representatives committee on basic education, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, former minister of Sports and speaker, Kwara state House of Assembly, Hon. Bio Ibrahim and a member of PDP’s board of Trustees, Hon. Issa Bawa.
