The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, has challenged former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to formally defect to the party in the state and submit himself to the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, rather than allegedly maintaining covert ties with the APC in Abuja.
Naijaonpoint reports that Fagbemi made the remarks during an interview with Vanguard while reacting to comments credited to the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubabar Sulyman.
Sulyman had claimed during a local radio programme in Ilorin that the former Senate President was “hobnobbing” with the APC at the national level.
Reacting to the allegation, Fagbemi described Saraki as self-centred, claiming that the former governor’s political style had driven many of his loyalists out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, several of Saraki’s supporters have defected to both the APC and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The Kwara APC chairman said the party deliberately chose not to give prominence to the issue, insisting it was of no political consequence.
“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,” Fagbemi said.
‘Submit To AbdulRazaq’s Leadership’
Fagbemi urged Saraki to demonstrate political courage by openly joining the APC in Kwara State, rather than maintaining what he described as ambiguous political relationships.
“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 added.
Fagbemi further claimed that Saraki no longer posed any political threat in the state, pointing out that the APC had defeated the PDP in two consecutive elections.
“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.
The APC chairman accused Saraki of lacking loyalty and integrity, recalling what he described as the former Senate President’s intense political manoeuvring to emerge as Senate President.
“He is simply playing a survival strategy because there is nothing left for him politically in the state,” Fagbemi alleged.
According to him, Saraki’s alleged desperation stems from losing access to state power and resources.
“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.
Despite the criticism, Fagbemi maintained that the APC had no objection to Saraki’s political moves, insisting that the former Senate President should take responsibility for his choices.
However, he stressed that if Saraki truly believed in his political strategy, he should officially defect to the APC in Kwara State and operate openly within the party structure.