The state congresses of both the PDP and APC recently ended in Kwara state, with the Sarakis having their men in charge. UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB writes on the unfading influence of the dynasty in the politics of the state
Late Saraki’s influence
The domineering influence of the political dynasty of the late kingpin of Kwara politics, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, in the politics of the state over the last forty decades, no doubt has remained a strong reference point in the nation’s political discourse. It is common knowledge that some people have continued to speak against this phenomenon, and therefore call for a change.
But while this is on, those benefitting from the status quo have remained supportive of the Sarakis. With the demise of the patriarch of the Saraki dynasty, many analysts predicted a quick end to its influence on the politics of the state. However, barely two years after, the late Waziri of Ilorin, popularly and fondly called Olooyeee by his teeming admirers, still radiates and waxes stronger among the people, indicating that the dynasty might be a hard nut to crack for the political class.
Freedom Group
A major test of the depth of its might and fortune came from
Freedom Group, a political movement within the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) which claims it is out to “to liberate Kwarans from bondage.”
This, our reporter learnt, was borne out of the emergence of the scion of the Saraki’s family and two term governor of the state, Senator Bukola Saraki representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, as the political “leader” of the state, a role played by his late father.
Though, some Kwarans have vowed not to “serve father and son,” the overbearing influence of the Sarakis in deciding the political direction of the state has continued to be an issue in the politics and governance of the state.
The issue came to the fore again in the just concluded congresses of the two rival political parties in the state; the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP held in the state.
Prior to the coming of the APC, the race for the 2011 governorship elections in the state was a contest that was majorly among 3 political parties; the PDP, defunct Action Congress of Nigeria and Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN). ACPN was floated by the late Oloyeee to pursue the governorship ambition of his daughter, Senator Gbemisola Saraki who could not secure a ticket under the PDP. Her ambition pitched her against her brother, Bukola who backed the incumbent governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed as his successor on the PDP platform.
2015 build up
From the 193 wards in the state to all the 16 local governments areas, the two rival parties have put the leadership structures in place. The congresses marked the completion of a process that commenced in April,2014 to elect party officials that will direct the affairs of the parties in the state.
For the PDP which was hitherto being controlled by the ruling party, a big vacuum was created in November, 2013, following defection of the state governor and Bukola, his political god father to the APC. Expectedly, their entrance was greeted with mixed feelings. While some APC members saw it as a blessing, others who could not stand the sight pulled out of the party in protest.
And as if that was not enough, party structures were also handed over to the former governor in his capacity as its leader.
In protest, notable bigwigs within the APC, including Mohammed Dele Belgore(SAN), while Gbemi also opted to return to the PDP from the ACPN where she had earlier sought to realise her governorship ambition. Belgore cited imposition of leadership amongst other reasons he left the APC which he had laboured for.
Marriage of inconvenience
From the beginning, observers of recent political events in the state, had described the fusion of the opposition parties into the new APC as a marriage of “inconvenience,” which according to them, might soon hit the rock.
But leaders of the various parties that merged to form the APC both at the national and state levels, admitted that all is not going to be bed of roses, assuring of their readiness to make sacrifices to proof the doubting Thomases wrong.
Consensus
And in trying to convince the whole world, the APC state congress just like it happened at the ward and local government levels earlier held across the state, produced consensus candidates vying for all party positions.
This, Bukola, the party leader in the state, described as the result of “personal sacrifice made in the interest of the party” to ensure its unity and success come 2015.
Justifying the consensus arrangement, Governor Ahmed said the party adopted the option to proof critics wrong that the merger would not work.
The magic
In proofing his worth in the composition of the 34 state working committee members for the APC, Saraki was able to influence the emergence of chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Balogun Fulani-Ishola as the new APC state chairman, same for former secretary which was conceded to former PDP scribe, Prince Yemi Afolayan and woman leader, Hajia Sarat Adebayo, all from the PDP group in APC.
He said the party had also lived to its promises to run “an all inclusive” government by conceding the positions of the party’s Public Relation Officer (PRO),organizing secretary and treasurer and others to the other parties that formed the APC, adding that all positions were shared among members.
Speaking shortly after the presentation of the new officers to the congress, Saraki said with the successful conduct of all congresses in the state, the APC had passed its “strongest test and is half way to the promise land.”
He said: “When this journey started a lot of people said that it will be beset with crisis, a lot of people said there will be no inclusion, a lot of people said that they cannot come together, a lot of people said that it was going nowhere.
“Today, we are already half way to the promised land, because today we have shown the difference between us and the other party. We have shown unity, we have shown commitment, we have shown purposefulness in what we want to achieve because a party that cannot organise congress cannot run government, a party that organises congress in this manner is already ready to continue to rule government.”
Agenda
Turning to the new working committee members, the state leader of the party told the new officials that the task before them is to deliver Kwara state 100 per cent to APC in the 2015 general elections and also contribute to the formation of national government by the APC.
“The challenge is to deliver Kwara. Every ward, every local government should deliver APC here in Kwara state. There is no room for anyone else here in Kwara than APC. This time around 2015, we will repeat what we did in 2011. I believe that with the team we have, we will succeed by God’s grace,” he said.
Gbemisola’s stunt in PDP
While the former governor successfully held sway in the APC, his sister, did not do less in PDP. In the just concluded congresses of the party held across the state, she also succeeded in installing her loyalists in party positions. It was reported that the Gbemisola successfully fixed her men in 14 out of the 16 local government in the state. She also leveraged on that success to play a determinant role in the emergence of the state chairman and other members of the PDP working committee.
The 33-member state working committee are dominated by Gbemisola’s loyalists, Belgore and Abdulrahaman Abdulrasak, a former governorship candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
Unlike the APC congresses where party officers emerged through a consensus arrangement, the PDP’s congresses were characterized by high intrigues, permutations, violence and loss of lives in some places. Prior to the congress, stakeholders within the party had perfected strategies to install their
“own men” in various positions. The contest pitched the entrants against the old members.
At the forefront of the power play were among others; Chairman, Federal Character Commission(FCC), Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, Gbemisola , Belgore, Senator Simeon Ajibola, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Suleiman Ajadi and an oil magnate, Hajia
Muina Sagaya. Sagaya was said to have committed huge funds to the party when it was under a caretaker executive committee.
At the end , Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, a former member of the state House of Assembly from Kwara South and avowed critic of the Sarakis, emerged the state chairman of PDP.
Blueprint gathered that Oyedepo’s emergence which was opposed by other group within the party, was made possible following the alliance reached about 48 hours to the congress by Gbemi, and Belgore, which made other factional leaders lose out at the tension-soaked congress.
The Belgore and Gbemisola alliance resulted in the overwhelming victories sweeping about 30 of 33 seats of the new executives.
The other group branded “Freedom Group” with Abdulraheem, Sagaya, Ajibola and, former sports minister, Isa Bio Ibrahim as arrow heads, lost out in the contest.
With the conclusion of the congresses, both Bukola and Gbemisola have again emerged key actors in deciding the political direction of the two rival parties ahead of the 2015 polls.
Tussle for ministerial job
With this feat and obvious influence in the state PDP, the coast seems clear for Gbemisola, who was reported to have been penciled down among others as a ministerial nominee to replace the sacked minister of sports, Bolaji Abdullahi.
Although, the likes of Sagaya, Abdulraheem, Ajadi and Ibrahim, are no pushovers in the tussle for the ministerial job, analysts said her influence would be a plus for her.
The battle for the job has become intense because anyone that eventually clinches it automatically becomes leader of the party in the state.
Already, the Freedom Group, which had earlier protested the result of the congresses had made a u-turn, agreeing to work with the new officers to ensure unity in the party.
As it were, observers of the unfolding political drama are concluding that the 2015 general elections in the state would be another contest between the Saraki and Saraki. To some analysts however, the intra-Saraki rivalry is another game plan to sustain the dynasty.
How these variables will affect the political fortune and governance of the state, will be determined by the outcome of 2015 general elections.