By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin.
There was celebration on Sunday in the ancient town of Oro, the country home of the leader of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, following the electoral victory of the APC in Saturday’s by-election in Irepodun/Isin/Ekiti/Oke- Ero federal constituency of the state.
The candidate of the APC, Hon. Raheem Olatunji, defeated the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Hon. Saheed Alatise.
The jubilant crowd who trooped out en masse to the major streets of the town moved to the country home of Alhaji Mohammed.
The broom-wielding crowd, who were mostly party supporters from across the 16 local government councils of the state, thanked the minister for his support for the party.
The state chairman of the party, Hon. Basr Bolarinwa, who was also at hand at the residence of the minister, thanked the jubilant crowd for their support for the APC in the state.
He said that, “the APC has come to stay in Kwara State and would win more seats in next year’s general elections in the state.”
Omolaja added: “I want to say that the APC victory is an indication of the political freedom in Kwara and the party would consolidate this come 2019 elections.”
He however called on the people to continue to support the party so as to move the party forward in the state.
Receiving the people, the leader of the APC in the state, Alhaji Mohammed, said the by-election victory of the party was a genuine desire to bring new lease of life to the people of the state.
He said that, “the people of the federal constituency have showed to the people of the state and Nigeria that, the Kwara State APC has taken a new step that would go a long way to add more value to the socio-economic development of the state”.
Mohammed advised people of the state to collect whatever PDP offers them during election because it is their money but still vote for APC.
“They will still come before next elections with more money and gifts; collect because it is your own money and reject their candidates during the poll,” he said.
The minister, who could hide his joy, told the crowd that, “It is a new beginning in the political history of Kwara State because I started this political journey to liberate Kwarans in the year 2003 and I have not relented in my efforts to bail out the state from the hands of the oppressors that have been controlling the political sphere of this state.“
“The by-lection election victory of our candidate, Hon. Raheem Olatunji has shown a new political order that would bring good and quality representation which will usher in new democratic development in the political history of Kwara State”.
While assuring the people of the state of the party’s commitment to liberate them from abject poverty, Alhaji Mohammed however advised them to go back to their wards and local government to mobilise more for the party to win next year’s general elections in the state.
