The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, on Wednesday vowed to stop the “one man era” going on in the state.
Chairman of the party in the state, Bashir Bolarinwa, said this in veiled reference to the strongman of Kwara politics and Senate President, Bukola Saraki, while addressing governorship aspirants and party members.
He said: “Kwara State might not have been so blessed in the choice of its chief executives in the past.
“We are determined to change the situation for the better now.
“That is why we are here: to further deepen our democratic process through engagement, participation and feedback from our respected audience.
“What we are doing today is a total departure from what obtains in the oligarchy system we are trying to stamp out.
“We are presenting to you our array of eminent Kwarans who are seeking to lead us through the ballot in 2019,” Bolarinwa said.
The chairman appealed to the governorship aspirants to use the opportunity to lay out their plans and manifestos to the people.
“Since the people are the ultimate in a participatory democracy like ours, we feel it is right for you to speak to them directly,” Bolarinwa said.
He assured the leadership of the party and members of the determination of his executive to produce a governor that would be accessible and loyal to the people.
“We are gradually closing the page of an era that has deliberately held the state back, an era in which the loyalty of public office holders is to one man rather than to the people.
“We are leaving an era in which one man, just one man, must be served.
“The result of such an undemocratic system is lack of infrastructure, depreciation in living standards, lack of respect for human lives and high handedness in the corridor of power.
“Never again will our state be held down by the whims and caprices of one man.
“The old order, which can only nurture mediocre and bring unpatriotic elements to the corridors of power, must give way to genuinely democratic system,” Bolarinwa said.
Aspirants that took part in the parley were Alhaji Hakeem Lawal, Amb. Yahaya Seriki, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and Malam Ish’aq Modibbo-Kawu, the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission.
Others were Alhaji Lukman Mustapha, Alhaji Moshood Mustapha, Alhaji Dele Belgore (SAN), Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, Alhaji Abdullahi Yaman, Alhaji Soliu Mustapha, Alhaji Tajudeen Audu and Alhaji Yakub Gobir.
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