IMMEDIATE past governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, has played down the recent rumpus in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as “an event” and a common feature of a great political party.
Saraki, who spoke with journalists at the weekend in Ilorin, said the parameters to measure the viability or otherwise of a political party remains its success at the polls.
He paid separate courtesy visits to the Chief Immam of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Bashir, Immam Imale of Ilorin, Allhaji Abdulhameed Mohammed and the former Grand Khadi of the state’s Sharia Court of Appeal, Alhaji Abdulkadir Orire.
According to him, he owed the eminent personalities special greetings, citing their roles in the burial of his father, Olusola Saraki, who died late last year.
Saraki said: “Have you seen any apprehension in Kwara PDP? We are following due process in Kwara. In any case, in politics generally, you can’t but see some events. These events do not mean that the PDP is disintegrating.
“You use elections to judge the prowess of political parties. The PDP in the last elections in Ondo State emerged second in the keenly contested polls. So, we are marching forward as a political party.”
Making an assessment of his successor, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, Saraki described him as a proactive governor, who has delivered well the dividend of democracy to the people of the state.