The candidate for Kwara North Senatorial District under the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Adamu Attahiru Manko has declared that he has not defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Manko, who is the son of a notable political figure in Patigi local government of Kwara state, Alhaji Attahiru Manko made this disclosure during interaction with members of the Association of Kwara Online Media Practitioners (ASKOMP), at his Ilorin residence on Sunday.
Manko noted that he remains in SDP and yet to join any other political party. In his words, “I am still consulting.”
“Everybody knows what happens in the last election, but whatever it was, Kwara first, because the State belongs to all of us.
“As at today, I think I am the last man standing and the reason for that was because we promoted SDP everywhere, we had followers and we can’t just jump ship without carrying those people along. If I do that, it will validate the unfounded rumors that somebody from Kwara Central was sponsoring me. So, that’s why I didn’t go when the tsunami happened and people were going there to snap pictures”, he said.
Manko who asserted that he has been helping people in his own way, said he ventured into politics to help more people grow and add values to the society. noting that he was an accidental politician who didn’t join politics to amaze wealth.
“My coming into politics was accidental, it was as a result of pressure and calls deon people, especially from those I don’t know outside my senatorial district. It took a lot of effort to convince me, before I decided to venture into politics to help other people grow and add values to our society.
“We complain about the bad state of affairs, but if we don’t join politics and continue to sit on the fence, there’s no way we can support in addressing societal problems. I believe it I can do a little outside government, I believe I would be able to do more if I stop sitting on the fence and join the system. Because since I started offering help to people in my own modest way, the pressure has been enormous”, he stressed.
With respect to 2027 elections, Manko said “Anything can happen, 2027 is still far. There are so many positions in Kwara state, anything can happen.”
When asked to assess the performance of Kwara state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Patigi born businessman said his prayer is for anyone in government to succeed and not castigate them.
“As a Muslim, we are admonished to pray for our leaders. If I should start insulting Rahman (Kwara state Governor) today, what if I am in same party with him tomorrow? So, I can only pray for him.
“Of course, we all know we are suffering in Kwara state, but we can only pray for him to be able to do more of whatever he has done. Because God put him there. So, as followers, we have to pray for our leaders if we believe in Kwara.
Manko equally emphasized the power of advancing mutual understanding between the people of Kwara North, South and Central senatorial districts and not fight, in the quest for political fairness, justice and equity.
“Although Kwara belongs to all of us, other districts have some advantages over us, so we have to lobby them and make them have understanding and that is why I have friends across the three senatorial districts.”
