Ahead of the 2015 general elections, UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB chronicles comments and revelations of political gladiators in Kwara state and examines how their comments will form the opinion of the people.
Eid-del-Kabir in Retrospect
For residents and the people of Kwarastate,the last Eid-del- kabir celebrations was one event that will not be forgotten in a hurry.
Apart from the spiritual activities that characterised the muslim festival across the length and breath of the state, the polity of state of harmony was also seriously heated by the actions and comments of political actors leaving behind issues to debate amongts the people.
From Agbaji Quarters in Ilorin west local government area of the state,to the Ilorin Eid praying ground,Bala town in Asa local Government to Offa town in Offa local government areas of the state, stakeholders made starling revelations which again brought to the fore serious issues of debate in the polity of the state ahead of the 2015 general elections.
The political power of the state which is currently being controlled by the All Progressive Congress (APC) led government,is being threatened by the opposition peoples Democratic Party PDP who have vowed to re-capture the state come 2015.
Therefore,the period of the festivals and long holidays of th last eid-del-kabir celebrations was another opportunity for political gladiators and bigwigs within the two rival political parties to restrategise ahead of the 2015 polls.
Already, the leader of APC in the state, senator BukolaSaraki and some stakeholders had few days to the sallah endorsed his successor,AlhajiAbdulfatah Ahmed for a second term in office.
A development which the opposition PDP said will be a “walk over” for them in the 2015 polls.
Little wonder that when muslims converged on the Ilorin Eid praying ground to observe the two rakat prayers to mark the eidkabir celebration, politics overshadowed the main spiritual activities for which people had gathered at the eid praying ground.
Exploring Sallah Opportunities
Every sallah period is one of the best opportunities for the political class to sell their dummy because of the array of kwarans that usually travel home from far and near to celebrate the festival with their families and loved ones.
It is a period when kwarans in diaspora usually take their time to appraise the state of political and socio- economic development of their various communities and towns which they had left in search for greener pastures, and subsequently form their opinions .
This year’s sallah was significant because it preceded the 2015 general elections.
Little wonder that religious activities that usaullycharacterised the eid-del-kabir celebration were relegated to the background at the Ilorin central Eid praying ground as supporters of APC and PDP engaged in a popularity test.
Party bigwigs,politicians and aspirants of the rival parties who stormed the paying ground almost throw caution into the wind as they adorned their posters and signboards at strategic places along Yidi road.
Shortly after the two-rakat prayer led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Mohammed Bashir was observed at some minutes past 10, atmosphere at the praying ground was charged as political jobbers took over the proceedings, hailing leaders of APC in attendance.
At another end, some members of the PDP were shouting the party’s slogan; the development which shortened the post prayer sermon delivered by the Chief Imam.
Caution
Delivering a lecture, at the eid praying ground,a renowned Ilorin-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh AbdullahiSalaty admonished politicians in the emirate to see themselves as brothers irrespective of their party.
He said they should not allow politics create enmity among them, saying, “Those who left one party for another and those who remain in one party should know that Ilorin is your home, you are members of the same family, thread with caution”.
Politics in the Mosque
Agbaji quarters in Ajikobi ward of Ilorin west where the minister hails from was not insulated from the politicking.
It is disturbing to note that the politics of bitterness,acrimoney,and campaign of calumny have found it way into the religious circles of the community which had produced great islamic scholars and clerics.
Just some few days to the eid-del-kabirfestival,it was gathered that the minister had wanted to join muslims at a mosque at Aggbajiquaters in observing magrib congregation prayers but suprisingly the mosques in area were deliberately shut to prevent him from observing the prayer.
Both the minister and leader of the APC,SenatorBukolaSaraki have their roots from the Agbaji quarters but are on different pages politically.
A development which many analysts said might breed some level of mistrust and hatred amongst the people as both APC and PDP battle for the soul of Agbajicome 2015.
Reacting to the ugly incident,Suleiman clarified that contrary to the believe in some quarters that he allegedly invaded the area with thugs, he said ”Between me and the architects of that rumour, Allah shall judge us. My root as a pure Ilorin born won’t allow me to attack or shut down mosque, a house of God. ”
He however commended residents of the area, especially the youths for the “overwhelming reception” they accorded him during the visit, saying “they(the APC leaders) are shocked at the reception we got and there is every need for them and their acolytes to be jittery and spread false information.”.
Outbursts
Worried by the dangerous dimension at which the polity of the state is assuming which is gradually infecting the religious circles,the minister shocked many people when he said that except something urgent is done to stem the tide of political thuggery and unemployment among youths in Kwara, the state might become another hotbed of Boko Haram.
The minister spoke at a reception organised in his honour by the 1984 set of his alma mater, Community Secondary School, Ballah in Asa Local Government of the state, during which he lamented the poor state of the Ballah community.
Addressing a crowd of residents and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) at the event which held in front of District Head of Ballah’s residence in Yoruba, Sulaiman said:
“There is imminent danger starring us in the face in Kwara. We need to act fast and stem the spate of thuggery and unemployment among our youths, who just eulogiseA ‘leader’ who has not done anything to change their lives. The APC-led government in the state is just recycling poverty and the danger is that we are knowingly or unknowingly breeding future Boko Haram in Kwara.”
As soon as the minister’s statements made headlines , leader of the APC in the state,senatorBukolaSaraki and the party chairman,AlhajiBalogun Fulani-Ishola both disagreed with his claims.
Saraki said the minister’s comments” was irresponsible statement and that the statement should be withdrawn”.
The APC chairman in his own reaction argued that the state is the most peaceful in the country because the APC led government had provided jobs to over 1000 youths through KWABES and over 6,000 through QuickWin. From Bala, the Minister’s train moved to offa the next day,(Monday) where a reception was organised for him by a PDP group known as G-3. His first port of call was the palace of the Olofa in Council,ObaMuftauGbadamosuEsuwoye.
At the palace of the Olofa in Council ,the Minister lamented the state of under- development in the town regretting that “Offa has been victim of tyrants ,in the last 15 years,offa has not received any development”. He told the Olofa in council in Yoruba language that “it is only an offa born bastard that will support APC government in the state to return to power in 2015”.
Suleiman particularly recounted his experience while travelling on Offa-Ajase-Ipo road which he said took him about 40 minutes derive to the palace because of it deplorable condition which he beleived the state government should have make a case for rather than just claiming that it is a federal road.
He urged the “people of the town to key into the ruling PDP and the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to be free from bondage,injustice unfair treatment and lopsided development saying “the PDP of today stand for justice,fairness and development”.
From the place,the minister’s visited the first African Professor of Geology,ProfessorJamiuOyawoye where he also re-ecoed what he said at the palace.
From Oyawoye also came a cheering news for the PDP but shocking to the APC, that the Offa people will vote PDP come 2015.
“It’s not about money,not free gifts, this is a community where from childhood,we have been brought up to be hard working and independent”,he said.
The former university teacher who clocked 87 years recently described the minister as “trusted person” who possess qualities to make positive impacts.
“If your coming on board,God will use it to change the situation,offa will take Its proper position in the PDP,before now no body has taken a decision on any candidate,the attitude is that after primaries but this time offa is taking its position in the PDP very seriously by the time you get to the reception you will see what I mean”, Oyawoye said.
Consequently, the news of the revelations of the stakeholders in offa caused steer, confusion and disbelief within the government circle compelling the olofa in council to deny some statements credited to him in the media during the minister’s visit.
Denials
The following day after the national planning minister’s visit to Offa ,theolofa in council came up with statements to deny media reports credited to him where he was reported to had critised government on the collapsed state of infrasfructure while responding to the minister’s comment .
An online medium, E-kwara reported that “since the media report made newspaper headlines today (October 7), the Olofa has come under intense attack by officials of the state government.
“The government was said to have threatened to ‘tone down’ its support for the respected chief ahead of the judgment of the Supreme Court in the suit challenging the validity of his selection as the Olofa of Offa by a rival ruling house.
“A source at the palace who craved anonymity said that the media statement was the first from the palace since Gbadamosi was coronated, which underscored the seriousness of the pressure being mounted on him.
“This is about the first time the Olofa will be issuing press statement. It is evident of the seriousness of the pressure the Olofa is being made to face. They are threatening him left, right and centre, insisting that if he must remain in his position, especially in view of the Supreme Court case, he must be ready to deny the Minister….”
“We all know that what the minister said was the raw truth, but who are we to say?” he said.
Buhari on 2015 Presidency
As if that was not enough,former Head of state and APC presidential aspirant,GeneralMohammaduBuhari dropped another bombshell when he visited Ilorin on Monday disclosing that he never beg the leader of the APC in the state, Senator BukolaSaraki to step down for him in the 2015 presidential race.
Saraki,the leader of APC in the state and chairman, Senate Committee on Enviroment and Ecology had on Sunday declared that he would not contest for presidency on the platform of the party in 2015.
Though Saraki was yet to make any public declaration about his ambition,he hinged his decision to back out of the race on what he described as complications in the system which he said required some personal sacrifice.
Buhari while speaking in Ilorin during a visit to governor Abdulfatah Ahmed as part of his consultation for the presidential ticket of the APC, said though he was not against a consensus arrangement in the selection of a candidate for the party ,he said Nigerians should be allowed to choice who ever will be their leader.
“I read it in the paper, I didn’t beg him (Saraki) to leave it for me but it is his own decision, he has been a governor. He knows the politics of the country, his father works extremely hard and virtually established a dynasty voluntarily supported by people of this state”, Buhari Said.
If the recent outburst of the minister and revelations coming from stakeholders in recent time is anything to go by,one might want to draw a conclusion that the 2015 general elections is not going to be business as usual in the state.
