President Goodluck Jonathan has vowed that ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will reclaim Kwara state from the Bukola Saraki-led All Progressives Congress (APC) before or by 2015.
He also told all those elected under the PDP but have defected to the APC that the ruling was determined to reclaim all the stolen mandates ahead of 2015.
The President spoke at the State House on Tuesday while receiving a delegation from Kwara state led by the only Senator that has not defected to the APC, L.A.K Jimoh.
He particularly vowed to ensure that former governor Bukola Saraki is disgraced come 2015.
President Jonathan thanked the party members in the state for the large turnout during the unity rally held in the state recently despite effort by the Bukola Saraki-led APC to give the impression that the PDP is dead in the state.
He said, “In 2015, we will know who owns Kwara. And if God gives us the opportunity, which I believe, probably we will even test our strength before 2015. All stolen mandates will return to PDP.
“As a member of the Assembly who refused to defect, you will have nothing to regret. Just celebrate it. If they think that PDP will allow them to run away with it, they will see it.
“So, let us continue to encourage you and we will continue to work together with your leaders, supporters and make sure that not only will we win the election at the national level, we will also win at the state levels.
“We must take over the state structures of the party, the Governor and the state Assembly, we must take all, because it is easy to reach the grass root through the states than the center because the country is so big that by the time we distribute positions, you will not be noticed. But at the state level, we can touch more people.
“So any state we are unable to win, members of the party in that state will continue to live like orphans. So, definitely, we are taking Kwara. So, I am quite pleased with what you have done today,” Jonathan stated.
The President continued: “Let me also join others to express our deepest appreciation for the reception you gave to us when we came for the rally. The rally in Kwara was even thicker than some zonal rallies.
“It was even a day the government had wanted to distract the attention of the citizens. They arranged some programmes even within the Ilorin and those programmes failed.
“These things do not happen by chance because men and women who are here worked very hard to get to that level. So, extend our appreciation to those our brothers and sisters and formidable members of our party who are not here.
“You spent your personal money in mobilizing our people to get there that day. We remain very grateful and from what we saw that day, I do not think we need a soothsayer to say that Kwara is totally for the PDP. Kwara is totally for PDP.”
Speaking earlier, Senator Jimoh, said they were in Abuja to thank the president for attending the unity rally in Ilorin.
He earlier told the President, “Your presence gave us a taste of the transformation you give which has made the PDP the bride in the state. What you saw that day is just the tip of the iceberg compared with what we are capable of archiving.
“The period 2011-2015 is the period of gestation for your transformation programme and the year 2915 to 2019 is the period of maturation. We assure you of our continuous support for 2015.”
The Senators also thanked the president for appointing Kwara indigenes into positions in government, calling for more federal appointments.
While urging President Jonathan for more support, the Senator said, “the march of freedom which has just begun by the special grace of God and with your support will be completed successfully.”
On the delegation were Mrs Bola Shagaya, Simeon Ajibola, Col. Theophilus Bamigboye, Ibrahim Bio, Gbemisola Saraki, Amina Ndalolo and Presidential Adviser on Ethics, Sarah Jibril.
