For many stalwarts of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, in Kwara State, there have been too many anxious moments in the past two weeks. Of course, 2015 general election is just round the corner. What with the political schism that ensued in the state after Senator Bukola Saraki, former governor of the state and de-facto political leader of Kwara, defected to the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. He had, tugging along with him, the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed. The implication of these actions is very clear. As pundits now see the scenario, political equation viz-a-viz, the two parties' influence in the state is balanced. As it is, any electoral confrontation could go either way come 2015. But last week, what appears to be a game changer began to unfold, largely, causing no small discomfiture for PDP party faithful on the one hand and jubilations, perhaps, for those of APC on the other.

Followers of Babatunde Belgore, former governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (which fused into APC), who has since defected to PDP, took to the streets in Ilorin in celebration. They claimed that the Presidency had endorsed Belgore as the preferred candidate and standard bearer for the governorship election in 2015. As gathered, the former governorship aspirant had presented figures from 2011 Kwara State election that purportedly showed that as ACN standard bearer in the state, he polled quite a significant vote. His argument to the Presidency is that if given backing by PDP at the national level, 2015 election would be a mere walk over for him. It was a plausible argument, but silent on many other variables that may nullify Belgore's viability as governorship candidate under PDP.

For instance, Belgore's choice as candidate was informed by his aristocratic background as a Belgore. The calculation then by ACN was that a Fulani-Ilorin man could sway political elites in Ilorin to support Belgore. Secondly, the Saraki dynasty in Ilorin already had enough traditional enemies who preferred seeing power wrested away from it. For this group of people, anybody is good enough so long as he is not a Saraki man. For this reason, Akeem Lawal, son of Mohammed Lawal, late former governor of the state rallied support for him just like Ahmed Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos and leading opposition politicians supported Belgore.

As at press time, Belgore is yet to confirm the report of such presidential endorsement, neither has there been any refutation from him. But in politics, sensationalism, rather than cold facts and logic often carry the day. This is why followers of Belgore were in joyous mood while other party faithful in PDP are pensive. Even more, the uncertainty of this reported meeting with the Presidency by Belgore is largely responsible for what has since unsettled the PDP party big wigs in the state and in Abuja.

Apart from his defection from the party and his leading a large chunk of PDP faithful, including the state governor to APC, Saraki is seen more at the national level as a Frankenstein monster, ready to devour its maker. This is so because as scion of Olusola Saraki, the late political strongman of Kwara politics, he had relied more on the influence of federal might under PDP to undo late Mohammed Lawal, former governor of the state in 2003 and since consolidated on his political career until 2011 when he installed his successor. For the 2015 general election, PDP is banking on a granite coalition united by the singular goal of wresting power from Saraki to win the state again and neutralise the former governor and senator at the federal level. But Belgore's overt ambition, signified by the recent road show by his followers, now presents a problem.

No other person than Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, the newly elected state PDP chairman understands this better. According to him, all party stalwarts eying the party ticket had assured him that their focus is to build the party first. "I have held meetings with them and we pledged to build the party rather than ambition. So, we are not celebrating ambitions in this party for now. We are trying as much as possible to consolidate on our strength in the state and not on individuals," he told Saturday Mirror.

He admits that Belgore is not the only one eying the party's ticket. Going by what he understands as body language of the politicians, a great number of them are mobilising to win the party ticket as governorship candidates. But this is where the problem lies for the party.

Apart from Belgore, there is Oba Abdulraheem, chairman of the Federal Character Commission, FCC, who for some time now has stepped in as a rallying point against Saraki. There is Gbemisola Saraki, sister to Bukola and a former Senator, who also presents a dilemma for many as to where her true allegiance really lies and there is Simeon Ajibola, senator from Kwara South.

Apart from these four, there are other party stalwarts who have lined up behind these gladiators. For instance, there is Muinat Shagaya, billionaire party financier who, as many believe, would only support the party in 2015 if her preferred candidate gets the ticket. Nobody is yet sure who that person will be. There is Akeem Lawal, son of the late former governor of the state. He is believed to have inherited his father's political structure. Though, his support for Belgore in 2011 largely swelled the votes for ACN that year, he is now believed to have thrown his weight behind Abdulraheem. In the days ahead, how the party accommodates the interest of this players is what analyst say is yet to be seen. As gathered, the singular motive of wresting power from Saraki is believed to be strong enough rallying point.

But what if some of the gladiators are moles from APC, planted in PDP to wreck its cohesion from within? For instance, there are still fears as to the genuineness of Belgore's defection to PDP when a political settlement could have been reached at the party hierarchy. Indeed, there is a great deal of worry in this regard going by an incident that happened after the election of Oyedepo as party chairman in Ilorin.

As gathered by Saturday Mirror, four days after the state congress, all roads led to No. 29, Kaduna Road, Adewole, Ilorin, home of Abdulraheem, chairman, FCC. Gbemisola Saraki, Senator Ajibola, Lawal all either visited the abode of Abdulraheem for close door sessions or made personal calls to the FCC chairman. In fact, it was during one of the sessions that Gbemisola assured the FCC chairman and Oyedepo that her differences with her brother were personal and would not, in any way, jeopardise the party's fortunes. But Belgore was largely absent in all of this sessions and kept largely to himself, away from the PDP stalwarts.

Indeed, these developments will certainly be music to the ears of APC strategists in Kwara. The party has left nothing to chance so far. Like crafty political chess masters, they allowed PDP to conduct its own congress to produce its chairman. With the emergence of Oyedepo, an avowed critic of Saraki, APC now realises that they will be spared no quarter in forthcoming political battles ahead. In APC's congress that followed a week later, Ishola Balogun-Fulani, a strong Saraki loyalist, emerged as the party chairman. Leaving nothing to chance, Saraki had long deployed foot soldiers into the grassroots to begin mobilisation for him ahead of next year elections. A few weeks to the APC state congress, Saraki had inaugurated a 10-man committee each for the 16 local government areas in Kwara State. Making a total of 160 men and women, they were deployed to the grassroots to garner support for Saraki and APC.