The Sarakis and Kwara: Sibling rivalry

Date: 2014-05-30

Senator Bukola Saraki had until recently reigned supreme on the political landscape in his native Kwara State, easily shifting the political machine of the state from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Now, his immediate younger sister, Senator Gbemisola Saraki has taken control of the rival PDP in an unfolding game that will amaze many.

Senator Bukola Saraki's political dominance had become indisputable after the demise of his father, Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki, the only Nigerian to have raised two senators from his household.

Senator Gbemi Saraki who lost the 2011 governorship to the candidate handpicked by his brother had following the election taken a leave from the political field until recently when Bro. Bukola and his supporters including the governor decamped from the PDP.

Since then, Gbemi who is said to have the ears of the national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu and some in the presidency, is believed to be strategising on means and methods to overthrow her brother's political machine in the state.

The ministerial appointment for Kwara which insiders claimed was initially slated for Gbemi was reportedly scuttled by other stakeholders in PDP who, it was learnt, did not feel comfortable with Gbemi getting the plum position just weeks after re-joining them in the party.

Other stakeholders who are reportedly being considered for the slot include the Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulrahaman , Deacon John Dara, and Engineer Sunday Adebayo Babalola among many others.

The grouse of those opposed to giving Gbemi a ministerial appointment and with it the leadership of the PDP in the state was that they could not after serving the late Oloye, serve his son and proceed now to serve his daughter.

But with the political horse trading and intrigues that dogged the state congress of PDP held on April 14, 2014 which produced the current state executive under the chairmanship of Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, a renowned lawyer, its has become clearer who is in charge of PDP in Kwara State.

Gbemi who was a member of House of Representatives for eight years and Senator for four years gave a political master stroke in that congress underlying correct tutelage under her late father.

Gbemi according to impeccable sources was able to get the majority of the executive including the chairman, Oyedepo, the secretary, Alhaji Alhassan Bamu and the state woman leader, Hajia Nimota Suleiman Oba Wankasi in an election the elder statesman Chief Barnabas Gemade and his team from the national headquarters of PDP supervised and declared as free and fair.

Though a rival group in the party had proposed Mr. Bode Ojomu for the chairmanship under the aegis of what they dubbed the Freedom Group, the group, however, came to submission and pledge loyalty to the winners after some little protest about alleged irregularities.

Oyedepo has since moved to assert the determination of the PDP to reclaim the state.

Briefing newsmen recently, he said issues that had in the past divided the stakeholders including the recent congress have been put behind.

"The great assignment of the rebranded PDP is to democratically capture political power in the state in year 2015 general election" he said.

"We are on a rescue mission and the vision is to provide good governance for the depressed and oppressed people of Kwara State".

"We equally have a mission to use the instrument of government to provide a platform of unity, love, fairness and justice in heterogeneous community of Kwara State" he stressed.

But in a swift reaction, the Kwara State chapter of the APC dismissed the PDP and its plans saying that a party that 'lacks capacity' to conduct successful congresses cannot govern a state successfully.

The APC in a statement by its publicity secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari berated the PDP for displaying a glaring dearth of capacity to comprehend government achievements, including comprehensive welfare packages for workers in the state. It described the much talked about re-branding of the state PDP as a failed attempt to deceive the people of the state.

"For the unlucky PDP, the people of Kwara State who PDP intends to hoodwink by claims of re-branding, do not need Mr Iyiola Oyedepo (the state chairman of PDP) to address any press conference before they know the true state of PDP.

"Kwarans are well informed, no amount of non-existing claims or distorted figures or both can deceive them.

As the two political parties buckle under the eagle eyes of the Sarakis,the electorates again will decide where the pendulum will swing when the time comes.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Ojo Fadumila     Budo-Egba     Abdullahi Biffo     EndSARS     Clara Nwachukwu     Olusegun Adeniyi     Jimoh Bashir     Sobi Specialist Hospital     Aro Yahaya     Col. Taiwo     Lanre Aremu     Balogun-Ojomu     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     Mohammed Danjuma     Idi-Ape     Kwara State Governor     Lateef Fagbemi     Reuben Paraje     Idowu Aremu     Arik     Shehu Alimi Foundation     Jare Olatundun     Elese Of Igbaja     Saliu Ajia     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Moronfoye     Musibau Akanji     Jelili Yusuf     Bisi Oyeleke     Saad Omo\'ya     Moremi High School     Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board     Oyeyemi Olasumbo Florence     Ibrahim Oniye     Federal Road Maintenance Agency     Idris Garuba     Kwara TV     Oluwatoyin Lukman     Kayode Ibrahim     Kolawole Akande     Ayodele Olaosebikan     Aso Ofi     Public Holiday     Toyin Falola     Ajibola Saliu Ajia     Countryside Emerging Leaders Fellowship     Maigida     AbdulQowiy Olododo     Aiyedun     Abdulrasheed Lafia     Abraysports FC     Wahab Abayawo     Kwara State Internal Revenue Service     Royal FM     Saliu Tunde Bello     Mahmud Durosinlohun Atiku     Dan-Kazeem     Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency     Adegoke Bamidele     Tanke Road     Saad Belgore     Yaru     Valsolar Consortium     Siddiq Adebayo Idowu Salawu     Yekeen Alabi     Kale Ayo     Oloriegbe     Folaranmi Aro     Alabere     Umar Yakubu Jaja     Sunday Fagbemi     REO CAKES     Yakub Lai Gobir     Afin Descendants Union Of Odo-Owa     Local Government Pension Board     Edret Sabi Abel     Abdullahi Adisa Akodudu    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Eghe Igbinehin     Abdulrosheed Okiki     Joseph Yemi Ajayi     Gwanara     Kehinde Boyede     Folashade Omoniyi     Abdulraheem Olesin     Kwara Central     Oko     Emir Of Ilorin     Yusuf AbdulRasheed     Wahab Abayawo     Transition Implementation Committee     Aisha Abodunrin Ibrahim     Labour Party     Tunde Kazeem     Shehu Alimi Foundation For Peace And Development     Ibrahim Kayode Adeyemi     Saeedat Aliyu     Tsaragi-Share     Isiaka AbdulRazaq     Centre For Digital Economy     Amuda Bembe     Dan Iya Of Ilorin     Olatinwo     Ghali Muhammed     Akeem Lawal     KSIRS     Mufti Of Ilorin     Oluwarotimi Boluwatife Adenike     Ajidagba     Olusola Saraki     Shuaib Abdulkadir     Idris Amosa Saidu     Abdulkadir Orire     Prince Sunday Fagbemi     Allocation     Aiyedun     CACOVID     Olota Of Odo-Owa     Facebook     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     Kayode Laro     Ibrahim Abdullahi     Oba Abu     Yeketi     Mansur Alfanla     Shehu Jimoh     Ogidi-Oloje     Al-Ilory     Abdulrahman Abdulrazak     Mike Omotosho     Baboko     Usman Yunusa     HYPPADEC     Sulyman Age AbdulKareem     JSSCE     John Kehinde Salako     George Innih     Kwara Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Niyi Ogundiran     Rotimi Samuel Olujide     Iyabo Adisa Ibiyeye     Communication Network Support Services     Mashood Abdulrafiu Agboola     Ayinke Saka     Toun Okewale-Sonaiya     Yemi Osinbajo     Iqra Books     Okoolowo     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     Salami Adekunle     Oladimeji Thompson     Kwara Metro Park     Ambassador Kayode Laro     Okala Baba     Salihu Yahaya