Defection, Depletion of Kwara APC  Pose Serious Threats to Victory in 2023, Says Party Chieftain 

By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

A chieftain of All Progressives Congress(APC) and advocate of “O To Ge” mantra in Kwara state, Alhaji LAK Jimoh has said that the defection of some  notable leaders of the party and the depletion in the party may pose serious danger to the party’s desired victory  in the 2023 general election. 

He said these leaders that left the party were those that worked for the electoral victory of the APC during the 2019 general elections.

Alhaji Jimoh made the remark in Ilorin in an interview granted to online medium in the state, Midland Post.

According to him, “four former aggrieved members of the APC are now gubernatorial candidates on different political parties’ platforms.

“It is a big minus to the APC, knowing fully well that they have formidable followers in the state”.

He added, “The four former aggrieved members of the party now contesting the gubernatorial election on different platforms include, Alhaji Yaman Shuaib Abdullahi of the PDP, Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem of the NNPP, Alhaji Yakubu Gobir of the YPP and Alhaji  Hakeem Lawal of the SDP.

“The four aggrieved members played prominent roles and worked very hard to ensure the party’s victory in the 2019 elections, but were frustrated out of the party.

“Their defection to other parties has seriously depleted the APC, with serious implications for the ruling APC in the state in 2023.

“The net loser is the APC, the party is shedding weight, none of them is bringing anything to APC now. Today they are against themselves”

He noted  that the party had been so fragmented and depleted by the attitude of the aggrieved, the power holders and the national headquarters of the party, that it may be difficult to salvage the situation if the party waits another minutes

He  said that the leaders of the party in the state were so selfish and more interested in what they would achieve personally rather than the corporate success of the party.

He blamed fragmentation of the party on the crisis which hit the party shortly after its victory in the 2019 gubernatorial election in the area with the incumbent Governor AbdulRahaman Abdul4azaq emerging as the winner.

Jimoh described the development as worrisome and a big problem which could be mended with sincerity of purpose by the leadership.

Jimoh, however, suggested that the way forward was for all aggrieved members to “swallow their pride in the overall interest of the party and the state,” adding “ you can stoop to conquer.”