EMMANUEL ADDEH writes that two days to the
governorship election, the Sarakis of Kwara State are still toeing
different party lines over who superintends the state in the next
dispensation
The uncertainty that had enveloped the genuineness of the widely reported disagreement between the governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and his father, Olusola, finally seems to have gradually paled. Every action currently points to the fact that there is a real dissent between the two, albeit on what appears to be on the grounds of principle, with the son insisting on change.
Already, the governor, it appears, has built his own circle of political loyalists with the huge support he has given Mr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, the erstwhile Commissioner for Economic Planning, who emerged the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate for the Tuesday poll.
Whereas the elder Saraki, alluded to as the strongman of Kwara politics, going by his antecedents, wants the entrenched tradition of determining who gets what, when and how to continue, the governor desires, rather defiantly to alter the balance of power in the state.
While the elder Saraki, known as Oloye by his admirers had almost single-handedly determined civilian governors who occupied the Ahmadu Bello Government House in the last four decades is convinced that it is his destiny so to do, his son feels it was high time the 78-year-old politician handed over to “the new generation.”
Oloye had indeed floored sitting governors.
However, ahead of Tuesday’s poll, what is different is that the opposition is coming from his flesh and blood. His son seems to be insisting that the field should be liberalised and democracy be allowed to take its course.
As things stand, the belief is that the strength of the political gladiators will be established in the next two days when the governorship election must have been held and the proverbial chicken would have gone home to roost.
However, beyond the unbelievable confidence exuded by both parties as to their capacity to wrestle the governorship position in favour of their protégés, is an increasing closeness in the gap of the strength of each of the contenders.
Today, Oloye, an infectious politician, whose bluntness is difficult to rival, cuts the picture of a sad man whose authority, as it were, has been challenged by his own blood and some analysts opine, justifiably too.
He has at various fora taken a swipe at his first son for daring to challenge the status quo, remarks the younger Saraki has taken with some level of calmness. The governor has also struggled endlessly in his various public campaigns not to make any reference to his father and by extension the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, his father’s party.
While anybody meeting Oloye would ordinarily be won over by his charm and sense of frankness, even if sometimes not altruistic, those who support the governor laud his courage for propping up a candidate outside his family and his zone.
The veteran politician, who analysts have observed, has mastered the art of body language and facial expression to appeal to the sensibilities of the people in his recent campaigns, had taken full advantage of his political skills.
In an emotion laden voice, Oloye not long ago lamented that those he had helped to stardom were the ones now condemning him for fielding his daughter as a governorship candidate.
He said, “I have always been there for Ilorin and Kwara’s progress all my life. But what I am seeing, hearing, and witnessing today are insults and abuses from all those very junior to me in all respects.
“I don’t have more than a three-bedroom flat each in Lagos and Ilorin and I have a rented one in Abuja. Yet, those who are now abusing me were those who benefited immensely from my goodwill and now have mansions in choice cities of the world.”
Interestingly, analysts have linked these comments to the new crop of young politicians thrown up by his son, who are currently in the PDP and battling to end Oloye’s over four-decade hold on the political space of the state.
This is his blunt perception of his son’s aides and supporters some of whom were ‘imported’ from outside the country.”
He added, “We do not know the lineage and pedigree of those that are now behaving like tin gods without due deference to those they should.
“I am the leader in this state and everyone should be ready to follow me. I don’t even know some of these people. It has never happened. In this hall (Illofa residence) we take decisions on whom to support after due consultations.
“Bukola has left everything loose and all kinds of characters, even those that can’t even win councillorship elections are emerging. This is my quarrel with him.”
He has also on many occasions expressed his angst with the PDP from where he defected to the ACPN, on the need to separate the political leadership of the party from the governor of the state.
Saraki, who also recently told his supporters that he had never been a card-carrying member of the PDP because it had failed to separate the party from personality, added that the development had created some level of indiscipline in the PDP.
He would also reveal his thinking about his son’s challenge. He said, “It is a mistake for Bukola to think that because people have been praising him for his achievements, then he has become a leader.
“I have told him, but he doesn’t seem to believe; I told him all the boys surrounding him are deceivers, but he said I am the one being deceived. No problem. I am waiting for the final day. Honestly, you don’t know how sad I am that this is happening. I am really sad.”
It would also seem that the strongman is throwing everything into the ring as he recently hinted to his supporters that this could be the ‘last’ political outing.
He declared, “I didn’t pray to continue in politics till now. I never wanted to be permanently involved in politics. After this last outing, I will call it quits.
“By now, I should be calling my son (Bukola) on the political field and asking him how far he has gone, but for the turn of events that is unacceptable. I can’t see most of my contemporaries that we started politics that are still active today. This is a test that my supporters and I must surmount.”
But, it would appear that the governor, steely, resolved and focused has seemingly freed himself from the shadows of his biological and political father with his strategy of winning some of his father’s allies taking effect.
In fact, he had at various times warned his supporters against desecrating the name of his father and had indeed been instrumental in the suspension of the party’s recently reabsorbed Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Isiaka Danmairomo, for allegedly describing his father’s exit from the PDP as ‘’good riddance to bad rubbish.”
Though this attitude initially fuelled speculations that there was a conspiracy between the incumbent governor and his father and that he was playing to the gallery, emerging political developments however point otherwise.
While the governor, who now is a senator-elect, is confident that the PDP and its other candidates would win all the remaining positions in which it fielded candidates, his father thinks otherwise.
When recently confronted with the defection of two aides of his to the opposition ACPN, the governor said, “I don’t know what the fuss about two commissioners resigning is all about. Look, I know of states where the entire legislators have defected to another party.
“I am aware of others where all the ward and local government chairmen have moved en masse to another party. But you can see that I still have all my ward and local government chairmen with me.
“I have more than 20 commissioners, just two have left. The leadership of the state PDP is with me in this battle and someone is talking about two commissioners defecting? People should learn to face facts and not dwell on unfounded sentiments.”
The governor, apparently defiant, is also said to be investing every drop of his sweat in the raging battle. Already, the hard stance of Kwara Patriots has caved in to the governor’s entreaty and has declared support for his candidate, Ahmed.
Also, some of Oloye’s former foot soldiers in some of the local governments, comprising Nimota Ibrahim and Ajape Bibire, who were recently granted pardon for their past misdeeds have joined the son in his bid to loosen his father’s grip on the politics of the state.
He has also succeeded in winning back all those who felt aggrieved during the last primaries in the state. All the aspirants are still within the PDP.
Given that older Saraki looks unperturbed by the development, some analysts think that it may just be the turn of the opposition-- the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change and the Democratic Peoples Party-- to take advantage of the seeming division in the ranks of the Sarakis and get as many votes as it can, since the chances of a coalition has become very remote.
But beyond the angling for the soul of the state, is the near impossible task of predicting with any amount of precision, what the outcome of the Tuesday election will be in the state as the gladiators appear equally matched and determined to outwit one another.
By EMMANUEL ADDEH Courtesy Of: Punch
The uncertainty that had enveloped the genuineness of the widely reported disagreement between the governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and his father, Olusola, finally seems to have gradually paled. Every action currently points to the fact that there is a real dissent between the two, albeit on what appears to be on the grounds of principle, with the son insisting on change.
Already, the governor, it appears, has built his own circle of political loyalists with the huge support he has given Mr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, the erstwhile Commissioner for Economic Planning, who emerged the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate for the Tuesday poll.
Whereas the elder Saraki, alluded to as the strongman of Kwara politics, going by his antecedents, wants the entrenched tradition of determining who gets what, when and how to continue, the governor desires, rather defiantly to alter the balance of power in the state.
While the elder Saraki, known as Oloye by his admirers had almost single-handedly determined civilian governors who occupied the Ahmadu Bello Government House in the last four decades is convinced that it is his destiny so to do, his son feels it was high time the 78-year-old politician handed over to “the new generation.”
Oloye had indeed floored sitting governors.
However, ahead of Tuesday’s poll, what is different is that the opposition is coming from his flesh and blood. His son seems to be insisting that the field should be liberalised and democracy be allowed to take its course.
As things stand, the belief is that the strength of the political gladiators will be established in the next two days when the governorship election must have been held and the proverbial chicken would have gone home to roost.
However, beyond the unbelievable confidence exuded by both parties as to their capacity to wrestle the governorship position in favour of their protégés, is an increasing closeness in the gap of the strength of each of the contenders.
Today, Oloye, an infectious politician, whose bluntness is difficult to rival, cuts the picture of a sad man whose authority, as it were, has been challenged by his own blood and some analysts opine, justifiably too.
He has at various fora taken a swipe at his first son for daring to challenge the status quo, remarks the younger Saraki has taken with some level of calmness. The governor has also struggled endlessly in his various public campaigns not to make any reference to his father and by extension the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, his father’s party.
While anybody meeting Oloye would ordinarily be won over by his charm and sense of frankness, even if sometimes not altruistic, those who support the governor laud his courage for propping up a candidate outside his family and his zone.
The veteran politician, who analysts have observed, has mastered the art of body language and facial expression to appeal to the sensibilities of the people in his recent campaigns, had taken full advantage of his political skills.
In an emotion laden voice, Oloye not long ago lamented that those he had helped to stardom were the ones now condemning him for fielding his daughter as a governorship candidate.
He said, “I have always been there for Ilorin and Kwara’s progress all my life. But what I am seeing, hearing, and witnessing today are insults and abuses from all those very junior to me in all respects.
“I don’t have more than a three-bedroom flat each in Lagos and Ilorin and I have a rented one in Abuja. Yet, those who are now abusing me were those who benefited immensely from my goodwill and now have mansions in choice cities of the world.”
Interestingly, analysts have linked these comments to the new crop of young politicians thrown up by his son, who are currently in the PDP and battling to end Oloye’s over four-decade hold on the political space of the state.
This is his blunt perception of his son’s aides and supporters some of whom were ‘imported’ from outside the country.”
He added, “We do not know the lineage and pedigree of those that are now behaving like tin gods without due deference to those they should.
“I am the leader in this state and everyone should be ready to follow me. I don’t even know some of these people. It has never happened. In this hall (Illofa residence) we take decisions on whom to support after due consultations.
“Bukola has left everything loose and all kinds of characters, even those that can’t even win councillorship elections are emerging. This is my quarrel with him.”
He has also on many occasions expressed his angst with the PDP from where he defected to the ACPN, on the need to separate the political leadership of the party from the governor of the state.
Saraki, who also recently told his supporters that he had never been a card-carrying member of the PDP because it had failed to separate the party from personality, added that the development had created some level of indiscipline in the PDP.
He would also reveal his thinking about his son’s challenge. He said, “It is a mistake for Bukola to think that because people have been praising him for his achievements, then he has become a leader.
“I have told him, but he doesn’t seem to believe; I told him all the boys surrounding him are deceivers, but he said I am the one being deceived. No problem. I am waiting for the final day. Honestly, you don’t know how sad I am that this is happening. I am really sad.”
It would also seem that the strongman is throwing everything into the ring as he recently hinted to his supporters that this could be the ‘last’ political outing.
He declared, “I didn’t pray to continue in politics till now. I never wanted to be permanently involved in politics. After this last outing, I will call it quits.
“By now, I should be calling my son (Bukola) on the political field and asking him how far he has gone, but for the turn of events that is unacceptable. I can’t see most of my contemporaries that we started politics that are still active today. This is a test that my supporters and I must surmount.”
But, it would appear that the governor, steely, resolved and focused has seemingly freed himself from the shadows of his biological and political father with his strategy of winning some of his father’s allies taking effect.
In fact, he had at various times warned his supporters against desecrating the name of his father and had indeed been instrumental in the suspension of the party’s recently reabsorbed Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Isiaka Danmairomo, for allegedly describing his father’s exit from the PDP as ‘’good riddance to bad rubbish.”
Though this attitude initially fuelled speculations that there was a conspiracy between the incumbent governor and his father and that he was playing to the gallery, emerging political developments however point otherwise.
While the governor, who now is a senator-elect, is confident that the PDP and its other candidates would win all the remaining positions in which it fielded candidates, his father thinks otherwise.
When recently confronted with the defection of two aides of his to the opposition ACPN, the governor said, “I don’t know what the fuss about two commissioners resigning is all about. Look, I know of states where the entire legislators have defected to another party.
“I am aware of others where all the ward and local government chairmen have moved en masse to another party. But you can see that I still have all my ward and local government chairmen with me.
“I have more than 20 commissioners, just two have left. The leadership of the state PDP is with me in this battle and someone is talking about two commissioners defecting? People should learn to face facts and not dwell on unfounded sentiments.”
The governor, apparently defiant, is also said to be investing every drop of his sweat in the raging battle. Already, the hard stance of Kwara Patriots has caved in to the governor’s entreaty and has declared support for his candidate, Ahmed.
Also, some of Oloye’s former foot soldiers in some of the local governments, comprising Nimota Ibrahim and Ajape Bibire, who were recently granted pardon for their past misdeeds have joined the son in his bid to loosen his father’s grip on the politics of the state.
He has also succeeded in winning back all those who felt aggrieved during the last primaries in the state. All the aspirants are still within the PDP.
Given that older Saraki looks unperturbed by the development, some analysts think that it may just be the turn of the opposition-- the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change and the Democratic Peoples Party-- to take advantage of the seeming division in the ranks of the Sarakis and get as many votes as it can, since the chances of a coalition has become very remote.
But beyond the angling for the soul of the state, is the near impossible task of predicting with any amount of precision, what the outcome of the Tuesday election will be in the state as the gladiators appear equally matched and determined to outwit one another.
By EMMANUEL ADDEH Courtesy Of: Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment