Kwara 2019: Time Not Ripe For Campaigns, Baraje Tells Politicians

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

As various stakeholders in Kwara State politics strategise ahead of 2019 governorship polls, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje on Saturday counseled those nursing gubernatorial ambition within the fold of the party to tary a while and be more patience in their ambitions.

He said that, they should allow the incumbent governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed to concentrate on the good job he’s doing.

Baraje disclosed this in Ilorin yesterday while speaking with journalists on the state of politics in Kwara.
The former acting National Chairman of PDP who spoke against the backdrop of recent media publications which claimed that 15 governorship aspirants including him are vying for the governorship position of the state under the banner of APC in the state, opined that two years to election year is too extra- ordinarily early for anyone to start campaigning for governorship or any elective office.

Baraje pointed out that a rare political system where the party’s hierarchy decides who takes what exists in Kwara state is yet to commence in the state.

Baraje advised those reported to be nursing gubernatorial ambition to allow the system work.
He added,”In Kwara state, Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Senate President is still our leader. I respect him and still queue behind him and when the time comes all of us shall sit down together and the system will bring out the best candidates for governorship and other elective offices that will be beneficial to the people of our state.

“For now, I think we should allow the sitting governor, Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed to continue the good work he’s doing.

“The governor is doing his best to serve the people of the state in accordance with the principles and policies of our great party, the APC.

“It is public knowledge that the governor has been going round the state flagging off various projects as well as empowering the vulnerable members of the society.
“To those nursing gubernatorial ambition, I advise them to be patient and cooperate with the political leader of the state.”

He said if the so-called gubernatorial aspirants “have been part of APC family in the state, then they are not doing justice to the system and if they have not been part of us,then they should know that we have a system “.
On national scene, Baraje praised the federal government over the step being taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to bring down the exchange rate especially dollar to naira.
He urged the government to keep up whatever it is doing to stabilise naira against dollar.