Ahead of the PDP governorship primaries scheduled for December 29, UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB writes on the unfolding political events in Kwara state where the party is fighting hard to recapture the state from the hands of the All Progressive Congress (APC) come 2015.
Freedom fighters
They are a group of people united by one common goal. Though they represents different interests,a strong bond exists among them. Their mission is to liberate Kwara from the claws of opposition All Progressive Congress and conquer the state back for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.
They are also determined to liberate kwarans from the yolk of one man politics which the state is known for over four decades ago. They are men of timber and calibre in their own rights and big wigs within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).They have a formidable team made up of 8 ex-senators, four ex-minister ,two deputy governors former minister, two former speakers of the state house of Assembly and former commissioners.
Indeed,it was a gathering of who is who within the Kwara state PDP last Saturday at Arca Santa Hall Ilorin, venue of a reception organised for the newly appointed minister of national planning by the state chapter of the party.
Roll call of dignitaries at the events is endless, an indication of the seriousness of stakeholders within the party to unite for a common front.Those present at the reception ceremony included former Speakers,Kwara state House of Assembly, Hon Isa Bio Ibrahim, and his successor ,Hon Tunde Mohammed Chairman federal character, Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, PDP state chairman Chief Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo,Special Assistant to the president on National Assembly Matters,Senator Makanju Ola Ajadi, former Majority leader,kwara state House of Assembly, Dr Yahayah Oloriegbe, PDP chieftains; Hajia Muinat Bola Shagaya, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), Architect Lola Ashiru among others.
Plotting APC’ s fall
On the surface, the gathering to many might appear to be an occasion for merry making but to observers of unfolding political drama in the state and insiders within the PDP, it was a gathering meant to make a statement.
A statement that the party is out for serious business ahead of the 2015 general elections and therefore the occasion was meant to send signal to opposition APC that come 2015,it won’t be business as usual. Little wonder therefore, that the venue of the reception was filled to capacity leaving more people outside than those admitted into the hall. This situation forced the minister to leave the reception hall to address the large crowd of supporters outside the hall.
Beyond the reception, the gathering brought together stakeholders within the party who took turn one after another to address their supporters. Issues concerning the unity of the PDP in the state, governance at the state and national level as well as the politics of the state over the last 20 years and most importantly how to re-claim kwara from the APC come 2015 topped the agenda .
The struggle
Addressing a mammoth crowd at the reception, the minister of national planning who is leading the crusade to reclaim kwara,said the PDP has a winning team that will rescue kwara from APC in 2015. The onus to lead the crusade fell on the minister following the defection of the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed,his predecessor and leader of the defunct New -PDP,senator Bukola Saraki alongside their supporters to the APC. In the absence of a PDP governor in the state, the minister is expected to be the rallying point in the struggle.
While speaking at the reception, Suleiman expressed confidence that the PDP has a formidable team that is unbeatable because of the pedigree of stakeholders that constitutes the team.
“Who can defeat this team ,a team made up eight ex-senators, four ex-Ministers ,two former deputy governors , three or four former speakers of Kwara state House of Assembly, two ex- PDP chairmen and former commissioners.If we have this calibre of people, I don’t see who can defeat this family”.
Politics of one-man show
For about 40 decades, the politics of Kwara was strongly influenced by the late strong man of Kwara politics ,Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki until the last days of his life when his son Dr. Bukola assumed the political leader of the state before he defected to the APC.
Although some analysts had argued, that the elder Saraki left his foot print on the sands of time, many believed Bukola had derailed from the style of his father hence the need to end the one man show. Speaking further, Suleiman said the process of his emergence as the new minister of national planning had showed that” politics in Kwara is no longer a one man show “.
He disclosed that unlike the past where one person decides who got what, no fewer than eleven PDP stakeholders sat down to ratify his nomination as a minister ,a development which he said was sharp departure from the practice in the state in the last 45 years.
The minister urged the stakeholders to allow the same spirit of sportsmanship to come to play in the emergence of the party’s governorship candidates and other elective offices ahead of 2015 elections.
Reclaiming peoples mandate
With the defection of the state governors, sixteen council chairmen, 22 out of 24 members of the state House of Assembly, two out of three senators representing the state and all the six members of the house of representatives, the PDP was paced at disadvantage in terms of appointments and elective positions.
Addressing PDP supporters at the reception, the minister, assured them that their mandate in the hands of members of the opposition APC will be reclaimed.
“Our opponent went away with 14 boards appointments ,in the next one or two weeks ,those people will lose their seats and they will be adequately replaced by our people”, the minister said
He assured that the new appointment will not be lopsided as every interest will be well taken care of. Suleiman also urged people of the state to demand accountability from the state government about “governance, resources and their free doom”.
He said “it’s time to ask question about the 200 million SURE-P fund coming to the state monthly and the 300 billion TETfund which the federal government allocated to the Kwara state college of Education Oro last month”.
Jonathan’s score card
Giving reasons why kwarans must not go with the opposition but to key into the transformation agenda of President Good Luck Jonathan, Suleiman said the president had provided a platform for kwarans to actualise their dream of liberating the people from bondage, poverty and oppression which some people have been agitating for in the last 45 years.
He said the administration of Jonathan had shown commitment to positively transform kwara which he said should be reciprocated by the people of the state come 2015 by reclaiming kwara for the PDP.
Suleiman listed his appointment as minister of national planning and that of the Corps Marshall of the FRSC Boboye Oyeyemi happening within two months among others federal road projects as a demonstration of love the president has for the masses in the state.
“If we are yearning for freedom and somebody has given us platform for that freedom, that person must be voted again.
“The struggle to conqure kwara back lies on all of us,no contribution from any one is too small to liberate our people from servitude, from political bondage”, the minister said.
Holding on to tradition
Four almost 45 decades of the existence of the state ,kwara, except on few occasions had never been in opposition party against the ruling federal government . This ideology was well practiced by the strong man of kwara politics,Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki during his life.
Until,late last year when former governor of kwara state, who asumed the leadership role of his late father, defected to the APC thereby placing kwara in opposition, a development many said was a departure from his late father’s practice. A move described by analysts as alien to the polity of the state.
Speaking during a homage to the emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari at his palace, the minister told the royal father that the best for kwarans is to remain in main stream politics of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) come 2015.
He said the state in the last 20 years had not been in opposition and that going with the opposition this time would be a departure from it political tradition which will not augur well for the political development of the state.
He assured the emir that the 2015 general election in Kwara will be conducted under a peaceful atmosphere.
The minister who was accompanied to the Palace of the monarch with mammoth crowd and some PDP stalwarts assured the royal father that Kwara will have trouble free election in 2015 and beyond.
Despite the new political differences of the people, the minister assured the emir that members of the PDP in the state will continue to be law abiding and conduct themselves in an orderly manner before, during and after 2015 election.
He added that no member of the Party in the state will engage in politics of bitterness capable of causing breach of peace in any part of the state.
Suleiman solicited the continued prayer of the royal father for peace to reign supreme in the state. The Minister beckoned on more People of the state to join the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for more development to be attained.
Good will messages
Apart from the minister, speakers at the reception organised for him addressed their supporters.
One of them, a governorship aspirant, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), urged his supporters to remain united and work towards the success of the party ahead of 2015.
Belgore also advised them to resist temptation by the opposition party to lure them into the PDP saying it does not pay to be in opposition. He said, “I have been in opposition in the past and had realised that it does not pay to be in the opposition”,
Coroborating Belgore’ position,Hajiya Muinat Bola Sagaya,a chieftain of the party,urged the people of the state to key into mainstream politics of the ruling PDP so as to enjoy democracy dividends. Shagaya a major financier of the PDP said her experience as a business woman had shown that it does not pay to be in opposition against the ruling party.She also urged them to demonstrate spirit of sportsmanship by accepting who ever that latter emerge as the party’s standard bearer for the 2015 governorship election.
Speaking on behalf of representatives of Kwara north, former minister of state,Aljhaji Bio Ibrahim,described the minister as the current leader of the party in the state in the absence of a PDP governor ,urging him “to be fair and just to all of us”.
From the chairman federal character commission, Professor shuaib Oba Abdulraheem came a cheering news to the gathering that the PDP is at the verge of taking over kwara Government House. He said there are feelers from the government that some top government officials are already removing their personal effects from the government house.
Senator Makanjuola Ajadi
Special assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly matters, Senator Suleiman Mkanjuola Ajadi who spoke on behalf of kwara south people ,said with the ministers appointment the state have started heaving a sigh of relive from bondage. He however said the minister should not rejoice yet until the party take over kwara Government House come 2015.
Defection
Climax of the reception was the admission of new defectors from the All Progressive Congress. APC to the PDP.Chairman of the Party, chief Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo who received the defectors to the party including members of Baraje family led by Alhaji Saliu Baraje, promised that the PDP in the state will play” developmental politics that will liberate kwarans from bondage and poverty”.
With just few weeks to the PDP governorship primaries in the state, it is clear that the stakeholders in the party are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that the PDP produce an acceptable candidate that will tackle the formidable opposition party in the state.
How the party is able to manage it post primaries situation will go a long way to determine it success come 2015.
