Thousands of members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state Wednesday formally joined the Young Progressives Party(YPP), citing intra party crisis in the APC in the state.
The group popularly called Third Force said that, they would wrestle power from the APC come 2023 in the state in view of the major leaders of O To Ge movement that joined the YPP.
O To Ge (meaning ‘enough is enough’) is a political slogan and movement that boosted the APC campaign leading to the victories recorded in vitually all elective postions during the 2019 elections in Kwara state.
The state coordinator of the group, Alhaji Abdulfatah AbdulRahman, who spoke with journalists in Ilorin on the defection said that, the alleged inability of the state chapter of the APC to demonstrate fairness, equity and provision of a level playing ground for every member of the party prompted their decision to dump the party for YPP.
He also alleged that, their former party has excluded majority of the party members from exercising their legitimate right during the membership/ revalidation exercise adding that, “the development is a signal that the current administration in Kwara State is not interested in securing a popular mandate at the next elections”.
AbdulRahman who waa APC Kwara Central senatorial aspirant during the 2019 election noted that, “the aspirations of Kwarans for good governance and overall development of the state cannot be achieved under APC with the existing conditions”.
The coordinator opined further that, “The above developments have given cause for our collective decision to look for an alternative, viable political platform where every individual can participate fully in our state’s democracy.
“We have reached out to all the existing registered political parties in Nigeria. Not only that, we equally scrutinised each party to ascertain it’s suitability in consonance with the hopes and aspirations of residents of Kwara State.
“The political party we have chosen is a party that Assures equal participation for all men, women, young and old, rich and poor.
“It is a party that ensures that the rule of law, equity, justice and fair play are its central ethos and on this strength I am pleased to announce that it is the collective decision of all members of Third Force to join the Young Progressives Party”.
Receiving the decampees, the state chairman of the YPP, Mr Charles Olufemi Folayan said that, “We are delighted to receive these number of strong political players in Kwara State into our party, YPP.
“It is evident that they have seen the light ahead and have decided to join the true progressives party to fix Nigeria and Kwara State in particular.”
Mr..Folayan however assured that, “the party would form government come 2023 in view of the major leaders of O To Ge movement that formally joined the YPP in Kwara state”.
