2015: Kwara PDP appeals for financial assistance

The Kwara Chairman of PDP, Chief Iyiola Oyedepo, has appealed to the National Secretariat of the party for assistance to effectively prosecute the 2015 general elections in the state.

Oyedepo made the appeal on Wednesday in Ilorin during an interview with NAN. The chairman said the party was in dire need of adequate fund to prosecute the elections in the state.

Oyedepo said he briefed the party’s Integration Committee for the North Central Zone during its visit about the needs and challenges facing its members in Kwara.

NAN reports that members of the committee, led by its Chairman, Sen. Haliru Bello, was in Ilorin to meet with elders and stakeholders of the party.

The delegation also reviewed the party’s strength in the state to ascertain if it was firmly on ground following the defection of Sen. Bukola Saraki and others to APC.

Oyedepo appealed to the national chairman to render financial assistance as the party had no fund to execute its programmes.

He said that the appeal became necessary because the executive committee inherited N18,000 after its inauguration.

Oyedepo said the integration committee chairman assured him that he would present the requests to the National Working Committee of the party in Abuja.

According to Oyedepo, the most expensive aspects of PDP’s quest to reclaim the state were in the areas of mobilisation, publicity and organisation.

“In normal times, expenses of a party that is active could be up to N500,000 every day.

“Our problems are compounded by the fact that we do not have a governor to fund the party and we need to face a sitting governor that has all the paraphernalia of office,” Oyedepo added.

The chairman said PDP in Kwara had remained active since the defectors left the party but with a lot of pains.

“We need financial resources to do a lot of work that is outstanding in our efforts to recapture this state for PDP next year.

“Since the inauguration of the state executive council of the party, we have received no help from the national secretariat of the party.

“We need financial assistance to face a sitting government.”

He said the party embarked on fund-raising in Abuja in May because the executive wanted to discourage sole sponsorship of the party.

Oyedepo, therefore, appealed to individuals to donate to the party during its fund-raising in October.