Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara State, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, has dared former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to formally defect to the party in the state and submit himself to the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, instead of allegedly maintaining behind-the-scenes links with the APC in Abuja.
Fagbemi made the remarks during an interview with Vanguard, reacting to comments by the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubabar Sulyman.
Sulyman had claimed on a local radio programme in Ilorin that Saraki was “hobnobbing” with the APC in Abuja.
Describing Saraki as self-centred, the Kwara APC chairman alleged that these qualities were responsible for the defection of several of Saraki’s loyalists to both the APC and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Fagbemi said the party deliberately chose not to amplify the issue, insisting it was insignificant.
According to him, “It is our style not to give this kind of issue serious media attention because it is a non-issue, given the antecedents of Dr. Bukola Saraki.
“The former Senate President should summon the political will to join our party in Kwara State under our leader and performing governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, instead of hobnobbing with our party in Abuja.”
He further stated that Saraki no longer constituted any political threat, noting that the APC had defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Saraki’s party, in two successive elections in the state.
“Some of Saraki’s supporters have been with us for a long time, while others have moved to the ADC. So what exactly are we talking about?” He asked.
Fagbemi also accused the former Senate President of lacking loyalty and integrity, recalling what he described as Saraki’s desperate struggle to become Senate President.
“He is simply playing a survival strategy because there is nothing left for him politically in the state.
“There is no longer access to state government resources, so he is trying to survive at all costs by hobnobbing with the APC in Abuja,” Fagbemi said.
However, he stressed that the APC had no objection to Saraki’s actions, adding that if the former Senate President truly believed in his political moves, he should officially join the party in Kwara State.