The battle for the control of Ahmadu Bello Government House in Kwara State, the state of Harmony in the north-central zone of the country ahead of 2015 general elections has begun in earnest. Various gladiators for the plum position of the governorship seat of the state in the two leading political parties in the state - Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Party - have also started their politicking, consultations and mobilization across the various wards, constituencies and senatorial districts of the state so as to intimate their supporters on the need to support their aspirations for the position. Hammed Shittu x-rays some of the gladiators

In the last four decades, the political leadership and control of Kwara State have been revolving around the political dynasty of late Dr. Olusola Saraki who had remained the major determinant of who takes what in Kwara State.
The people of the state followed the late political icon, Saraki to any political platform he picked them to during his life time and this had made him to produce four governors of the state, starting from late Alhaji Adamu Attah (1979-1983); Chief Cornelius Adebayo (October 1983 to December 1983); late Alhaji Muhammed Lawal (1999-2003) and his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki(2003-2011).
But, the situation about the political control of the state changed during the 2011 general election when his son fielded Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed under his former party, PDP against Senator Gbemisola Saraki who contested under the platform of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).

One of the interesting angles to the battle for the soul of Kwara state in 2015 is the fact that most of the political big wigs and aspirants were formerly in the same political party, PDP and under the same captain.
However, the picture is no longer the same. While Bukola Saraki has joined the APC with his followers, some others have decided to remain under the umbrella of PDP to, in their own words, salvage it and move it to the Government House in 2015.
Members of APC in Kwara State boast that they control the election winning machineries made up of traditional and formal structures in the state, including the ubiquitous young and old women and youth. They also believe that political structure which had been built by late Saraki over 40 years ago and being nurtured by his son, Senator Saraki, would always point direction to where election victory will go in the state.

On the other hand, PDP members, particularly, the stalwarts are relying on their individual political strength and popularity, including the backing of the federal government to cause an upset in the political equation of the state popularly known as State of Harmony.
The pedigrees of the affected gladiators in both the APC and the PDP are now examined below:

Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed…
Abdulfatah Ahmed is the incumbent Governor of the state. Though, he has not publicly declared his interest for a second term but his body language has showed that he has a serious interest to seek for a second term in office come 2015. Sources say he has since told his kinsmen in his cabinet to commence immediate sensitization and mobilization for the agenda. The group has formed a committee headed by the incumbent Commissioner for Finance in the state, Alhaji Demola Banu to canvass for his second term. The group has been moving from one local government to another in the Kwara South senatorial districts of the state.  Ahmed remained a loyal and submissive follower of Bukola Saraki. Gifted and eloquent, those close to him have described how he often rebuffs side talks on the leadership system in the state. To his credit, a Vocational College is standing at Ajase-Ipo just as five General Hospitals have been brought to international standard under his administration. The opposition will be waiting to see if the powerful Bukola Saraki will insist on the pre-2011 covenant among the then contestants to the effect that the governorship ticket will rotate among the three senatorial districts for a single term of four years each. Governor Ahmed had in 2011, reportedly sworn by the holy Quran that he would do only one term. This was after he had signed the one term agreement. Many are now wondering why he wants to renege on the agreement.

Razaq Atunwa
He is no doubt, the leading candidate for the Kwara top job. “Atunwa one” as fondly called by his political admirers in Kwara is the current Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly. Atunwa is a highly distinguished lawyer and a specialist in criminal and international law. He has appeared in a number of notable and high profile cases in the United Kingdom where he started his legal practice and runs a world class law firm. In 2005, Atunwa moved to Nigeria to commence his political career. In 2005, he was appointed Commissioner for Land and Housing in Kwara State during Bukola Saraki’s administration. From that post, he moved to the Information Ministry as Commissioner in August 2006, and in July 2007 he became Commissioner for Works and Transport. Again he was moved to the Ministry of Finance in November 2009 from where he sought nomination for the governorship position in 2011. He was elected into the Kwara State House of Assembly to represent Owode/Onire Constituency of Asa Local Government in April 2011 and on June 6, 2011, he was unanimously elected as Speaker of the Assembly. He indicated interest in the governorship ticket in 2011 and the fact that he was compensated with the Speakership meant he was considered a strong force in the process. If the PDP decides to pick a candidate from Kwara Central District, Atunwa will be a strong choice for the APC. Atunwa has proved to be highly competent and remains one of the  loyal supporter of Senator Bukola Saraki. Atunwa also command the support of youths, women and artisans in the state. As Speaker of the Assembly, he has maintained peace in the assembly so that his former colleague and friend, Ahmed, can focus on implementing the policies they agree on without fear of an uprising from the chamber.

Zakari Mohammed
Alhaji Zakari Mohammed was once a special assistant, Former Commissioner for Sport and later Commissioner for Energy during the administration of former governor Bukola Saraki. In 2011, Mohammed contested for the House of Representatives for Baruten/Kaima Federal Constituency of Kwara State under the PDP and won. He later emerged as the chairman, House Committee on Information. A former broadcaster, Mohammed was spokesman for the Mandate 2003, the political movement Bukola Saraki used to win the governorship ticket. Since then, he has not left anyone in doubt about his influence and capacity. Although a first timer in the House of Representatives, Mohahmed is the chairman of House Committee on Information. He has strong influence among his people in the northern axis and there is no doubt that they are happy with the way he has brought attention to his state and community through his activities in the lower legislative chamber. He later defected to APC with other members of the lower chamber during the PDP crisis. If the PDP should decide to go to Kwara North for their candidate, there are strong indications that the lawmaker may be considered by the APC leadership for the race.

Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje
Baraje, a technocrat turned politician remains one of the confidants of former governor Saraki. He hails from Ilorin, in Kwara Central Senatorial District of the state. He was a former National Secretary of PDP, former acting National Chairman of PDP and later former national chairman of the new PDP that broke out from the mainstream of PDP during the party’s crises.

Gbemisola Ruqayat Saraki
Senator Gbemisola Saraki, the younger sister of Bukola, also called GRS by her supporters, contested the governorship seat in 2011 on the platform of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), which she joined after leaving the PDP. The politician, who returned to the PDP recently after the exit of her brother, former governor Bukola Saraki, is said to be preparing to contest next year’s election on the platform of PDP. The outcome of the PDP congresses in the state indicates that she has a support base and a network of fellow party leaders who see issues from the same perspective with her. At the end of the congresses, her group controls 15 of the 16 local government executive members of the party and 30 out of the 33 state executive members of the party.
Her major setback in2011 was her gender; as majority of Muslims in the state, particularly, in Ilorin emirate could not be convinced to vote for a woman as governor. We will all wait to see how it will go if she decides to contest in 2015.

Makanjuola Ajadi
Ajadi, former senator is from the Kwara South Senatorial District of the state. He is currently Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly matters. Ajadi is also a former lecturer and former commissioner in the state. His appointment as presidential adviser is seen as an empowerment move for him to strengthen the PDP in the state.

Shuaib Abdulraheem
Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem is a chieftain of PDP in the state.  A former Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin and current chairman, Federal Character Commission (FCC), Oba, as he is called was the Director General for Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in 2011 general election. He later felt out with Bukola Saraki over his bid to seek second term as the chairman of Federal Character Commission which Senator Saraki objected to in view of the agreement that he would occupy the position for only one term and then moved to other senatorial district of the state. He made the move in 2011 general election to contest the governorship position of the state but he could not get it. He is making another effort to secure the governorship ticket of his party in 2015, just as he did in 2011.
Oba came into limelight in his days as the Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin where he took the powerful Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) headlong in an epoch battle that was eventually decided by the Supreme Court against him. As a prominent son of Ilorin emirate, he was honoured with the title, Talban of Ilorin.

Mohammed Dele Belgore
Mohammed Dele Belgore is popularly referred to as MDB. He was the candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011 election, where he emerged as the first runner-up to the current governor. He remained a chieftain of the APC until recently when Saraki and Ahmed moved into the party and took over the structures. He left to the PDP, telling his supporters that he could not afford to be in the same camp with Saraki. MDB is a member of the large and influential Belgore family of legal practitioners from Ilorin, and has a massive support from the emirate when he contested against Ahmed and GRS in 2011.The Belgore name remains a strong asset for his political venture. Belgore also has support in all the three senatorial district of the state and he remained only political structure that has no any affiliation with the Saraki since he joined the politics of the state. He has not hidden his feeling of controlling the state in view of his commitment and desire to bring change to the political development of the state and also providing quality leadership for the people of the state.