TheCable

Iyiola Oyedepo, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state, has taunted Senate President Bukola Saraki, saying the All Progressives congress (APC) is out to render him “politically naked”.

Addressing select party leaders from the 16 local government areas of the state in Ilorin on Monday, Iyiola said that Saraki was desperate to return to his former party.

The senate president spent his two terms as governor under the platform of the PDP, and was elected to the national assembly on the same platform, but defected to the APC in 2014.

“The senate president is about to be made naked by the APC. APC is in disarray and he is about to be made politically naked,” Oyedepo said.

“He is looking for a shelter in case the broom sweeps him away, is this the time to allow him to take refuge under the umbrella? The mistake of 2003 must not be allowed to repeat itself in 2016.”

Iyiola also dismissed the calls for the dissolution of the state executive council of the party, saying the current structure will remain in place until 2018.

According to Oyedepo, the party executive came into office in the middle of April 2014 and took oath of office on April 17, 2014.

“Section 47(1) of the 2012 PDP amended constitution gives any officer of the party elected through congress a tenure of four years,” he said.

“By the constitution of the party, we are due to leave office on the 15th of April 2018. We are not asking for elongation of tenure, but on the constitution of the party we stand.”

The chairman described those calling for the dissolution of the party’s leadership as undisciplined, and only out destroy the PDP

Oyedepo said Kwara PDP lost the 2015 election because candidates did not carry along the party leaders.

“All the candidates of the party ran their elections the way they wanted with very scanty reference to the party executives at all levels,” he said.

“We did not handle campaign funds of the candidates and we were not involved in the logistical operations of the campaign.

“Where did we go wrong on the issue of our failure in the elections? After the primaries, some aspirants walked away, some betrayed the party official candidates by working for our main opposition.

“Let anybody name any member of this executive that did just that. Even those that embezzled campaign or election funds are the loudest about dissolution of the executive.

“We have put together the state executive that was then divided by individual commitment to aspirants, the executive is now properly united and focused.”