From Adedeji Joseph, Ilorin
The race to 2019 general election in Kwara State is gathering momentum with prospective aspirants, who had hitherto been quiet, beginning to show up.
Those who have thrown their hats in the ring, however, are from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) even unlike in the past, their indicationare still quietly done.
Traditionally, the ruling camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state remains unperturbed because of their age-long confidence that they would take power no matter which party they throw up.
Observers are always quick to acknowledge the Saraki family as the beacon of politics in the state in whose family compound, the successive crop of elected leaders are baked.
However, the tune appears to have changed with the volume of oppositions that have become very outspoken in the past two years leading to a departure from the bold voting pattern in the last November Local Government elections.
Presently, a former police officer; Alhaji Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim, is known to have indicated interest to run for governorship election on the platform of the PDP and he is said to be set to make an open declaration of the ambition in a few days.
Also, according to findings, Alhaji Yahaya Seriki is being asked by a coalition of youth bodies in Ilorin, the state capital, to join the PDP and run for governorship election.
The youths, under the aegis of Coalition of Magajin Gari Youths Associations, called on Seriki to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP to actualize this 2019 ambition.
In a statement signed by one Mallam Tosho Abdulkareem in Ilorin after a courtesy visit paid to Seriki, they requested that he should join them to visit some constituency leaders in their Magajin Gari constituency and get some blessings to realize their dream.
Abdulkareem, who is the Public Relations officer of the Association in his statement said “the people of the state have rejected their current party: the APC which he said was evident during the November 2017 Local Government elections.
Seriki, according to the group is a gubernatorial aspirant to look out for in the next elections pointing out that he (Seriki) had been “in politics as far back as 2010 and once aspired to go to the Federal House Representatives in 2015 but was asked later to step down”.