Alhaji Abdulkadir Attairu Manko is the Senatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP for Kwara North Senatorial District. In this brief chat with journalists at the venue of the Edu campaign flag-off in Lafiagi last Monday, Manko explains the strength of his party and why the people of Kwara must choose and vote right in the 2023 election.
WHAT IS YOU IMPRESSION AND ASSESSMENT OF THE RECEPTION AND TURNOUT HERE TODAY?
The reception was very warm and great from the people who actually believe us and believe in the path we are following. As you can see, we first visited the Emir to receive his royal blessing. You can also see the reception and the reaction of the people even on way to Lafiagi town; you can see the way people were trooping out to the road to welcome our convoy from Tsaragi up to the tIme we got to Lafiagi. It was great and marvelous and we thank the people.
That is to say we are really on ground here and that we are the party to beat.
HOW THEN DO YOU INTEREPRETE THE REACTION OF THE PEOPLE?
It is so visible from the turn out and the reception we got here today. They came out on their own willingly. In fact, the way our party, the SDP has spread is like a virus…anywhere you go to. Like my people use to say, the SDP is a white horse without stain or blemish. Not only here, the turn out anywhere we go to has been huge and impressive. And luckily for us, our governorship candidate, Alhaji Hakeem Lawal is the son of Late Mohammed Lawal, former governor of the State.
There is no community in Kwara that you will see his footprints. Even the testimony at the Emir’s palace today corroborated the impression of the people about the former governor. An elderly man actually stood up and disclosed that most of the buildings in the palace were actually built by his father. That is to show you that his father was a good man…and that they are expecting the same feat from our candidate and Insa Allah, he shall perform well and even better.
EARLIER TODAY THE EMIR ACTUALLY GAVE HIS BLESSING TO YOU, THE GOVERNOR AND YOUR PARTY. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
You know the Emir is supposed to be the father to all…and he has given us his royal blessings. It means a lot to us. The signal is that: Go ahead and God will give you the victory.
BUT THE PDP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE IS FROM YOUR ZONE, KWARA NORTH. ARE YOU NOT SCARED THAT YOUR PEOPLE MIGHT PREFER TO HAVE A GOVERNOR RATHER A SENATOR?
Why should I be scared? The truth is that if they (the PDP) has actually done well, the people will vote for them, but we have tried the PDP, and even the APC, and nothing came out it. That is why they are trusting us in the SDP. And we have also told them that is we don’t perform after four years, you can kick us out.
The other fact is that on the issue of the governor, our people don’t want a governor that will under the control and armpit of a godfather. The only way a governor can succeed is for him not to be controlled or kick around by a domineering godfather that we render the candidate a powerless governor. And I don’t need to tell you who the godfather of the PDP gubernatorial candidate is.
As for me, nobody is my godfather, nobody is the godfather to our governorship candidate, His Excellency, Alhaji Hakeem Lawal. Our party has no godfather. We are just out to serve the people of Kwara. We are just servants put into power to do the will of the people!
