Setback for opposition parties’ realignment against APC in Kwara

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Kwara State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Tuesday officially announced its withdrawal from the ongoing negotiations with other opposition political parties on the possibility of forging a united front ahead of the fast-approaching March 11 gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections against the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the state.
A statement by the state chairman of the party, Abdulazeez Afolabi, in Ilorin on Tuesday said: “The decision to pull out of discussions was taken at an enlarged stakeholders meeting of the party, involving the candidates, state executive members of the party among others, which held at the party’s secretariat on Monday, March 6th, 2023.
“Our decision is borne out of the founding principles of our party in the state, which was purely based on our ideological inclination, unflinching alignment and dedication to the exclusive yearnings of the Kwara masses.”
The SDP said further: “While we are not averse to all other opposition parties joining hands with our party, the SDP and gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal, we undoubtedly believe our party is the only bridge that can connect and actualize our shared aspirations of changing the trajectory of poor governance for good in our state.
“We, therefore, charge members of our party across the 193 wards of the state, to intensify efforts towards ensuring that SDP emerges victorious [in the] Saturday, March 11 elections.”
There have been reports of planned realignment by the opposition parties in the state to challenge the ruling APC which is seeking to clinch a second term for Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in the March 11 gubernatorial and state assembly elections.
The realignment plan was mooted after the dismal performance by the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state in the presidential and National Assembly elections of February 25 which was cleared by the ruling APC government.
It was learnt that a series of meetings, consultations and discussions were held with a view to presenting a formidable front to tackle the ruling APC in the next round of elections.