President Goodluck Jonathan at a political rally in Ilorin said that the Saraki dynasty is a spent force and that the era of godfatherism in Ilorin politics is gone.
The President disclosed this at a reception tagged ‘Unity rally’ at Metropolitan Square, Asa Dam, Ilorin, Jonathan, also opined that the PDP is the true party that is free of dictatorship.
At the rally with the president were Vice President Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, Senate President David Mark.
Others on the entourage of Mr. President were the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Minister for Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Special Adviser on Ethics and Value, Mrs. Sarah Jibril and her National Assembly counterpart, Senator Sulaiman Ajadi.
His words: “As a President, I did not control the governor of Bayesa State, my home State, because the party gives room for freedom and allows governors and ministers to work without being controlled.
“PDP is the only party that liberates people. It is only in PDP that you can come from nowhere like me and become President of the country. I can confirm now that the mammoth crowd here has shown that Kwara people are ready to free themselves.”
“I am a President, but I have a governor I don’t have control over. We at the apex level of government can only monitor people in positions of authority to make them deliver dividends of democracy to the people, and we don’t dictate to them,” he added.
He explained that his government is working based on the PDP manifesto, adding that Kwara State should expect more dividends of democracy and goodies from the Federal Government in due course.
President Jonathan maintained that the PDP remains the only party that can give the people of the state the freedom they desire, saying: “If you are not in PDP you are not in politics, as it is only PDP that can guarantee your freedom in the State and the country at large.”
The Ilorin rally is coming a week after another one at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, where the President received among other defectors to the PDP former Imo State governor, Achike Udenwa, Senators Chris Anyanwu and Ifeanyi Araraume and Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN).
Vice President Sambo also addressed the rally, thanking President Jonathan for what he had done for Kwara State in the areas of education and agriculture.
“The PDP train is moving and anybody that does not join it now is late,” Sambo said.
Other PDP leaders who spoke at the rally expressed optimism that all those who had left the party “will soon return.”
Senate President Mark noted that “those who are pretending to leave the party will soon come back. They will plead with us to come back, and I am appealing to our people to accept them whenever they come back.
“The only party that promotes democracy and good governance is PDP. This is the reason we have this large turnout of people to welcome Mr. President. The turnout was so impressive that I almost shed tears.”
Mark’s remarks about defectors who would plead to return to PDP is a veiled reference to the likes of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, former governors Bukola Saraki and Shaaba Lafiaji and former acting national chairman, Kawu Baraje who have decamped to the APC in Kwara State.
The President, however, received all the defectors from other parties to PDP including Mohammed Dele Belgore, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Princess Bilikisu Gambari, Akeem Lawal, Rev Bunmi Olusona and Abdulrahman Abdulrasak.