The determination by the presidency and the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to stop the dominance of Senator Bukola Saraki in the politics of Kwara is threatened by internal dissension.

There were ominous signs of trouble at the Officers Mess of the Kwara State Police Command, in Ilorin last Friday at a meeting of the gubernatorial aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state with security chiefs.

The meeting was in the wings of an alleged time-bomb waiting to explode following perceptions of underhand efforts to doctor the process for the emergence of the party's gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming election.

Among the security chiefs present were the state commissioner of police, Alhaji Salihu Garba, state director of the Department of State Security, DSS, Mr Taminu Adlkhal who in separate interventions warned the politicians of dire consequences if they failed to bring the situation under control.

Among the gubernatorial aspirants present that day were Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, Muhammed Dele Belgore SAN, Engr. Sunday Adebayo Babalola and Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem. Others were a former minister, Alhaji Isa Bio Ibrahim, Senator Simeon Ajibola, Alh Akeem Lawal and representatives of Senator Makanjuola Ajadi and Senator Gbemisola Saraki.

The meeting followed protests in Ilorin that were directed at the leadership of the party at both the state and national levels arising from allegations that the delegates lists produced at the November 1, 2014 ward congress elections were being doctored to favour a particular candidate.

As at the time of the meeting, the delegates list of Ilorin West was said not to be available because of the litigations and controversies rocking the local government over its leadership status.

The warning was remarkably not enough to deter some of those determined to manipulate the process who reportedly provoked violence in some parts of the state during last Saturday's House of Assembly primaries.

The chairman of the party in Ilorin West local government, Alh Yusuf Olugbon who confirmed this to newsmen in Ilorin said that some elders of the party changed the venue of the election without notice.

He alleged that they were not allowed to see the list of the delegates for the election which he claimed was illegally conducted at another venue in llorin.

The chairman alleged further that the primaries election were conducted by fake delegates whom he said were sponsored by some leaders of the party.

Several valuables damaged by some suspected hoodlums or aggrieved members of the party littered the ground at the alleged fake venue where the election was shifted to.

The Chairman of the PDP for the Kwara Central senatorial district, Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha said the primaries election had been conducted at the venue by authentic delegates approved by the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja.

Matters got to a head at that meeting when the chairman of the Forum of Gubernatorial Aspirants of PDP in the state, Senator Simeon Ajibola told the seated security operatives that one of them Muhammed Dele Belgore SAN also sitting refused to endorse the list of delegates he described as authentic which others signed and thereafter gave the list to the commissioner of police Alh Salihu Garba.

Central to Ajibola's presentation is that the aspirants would support whosoever emerges as candidate if the process is seen to be transparent. Analysts see Ajibola's claim to be seemingly unselfish given claims that his rival, Ibrahim seems to be at a lead in the delegates count.

Belgore was, however, quick to clarify that his hesitation was based on the fact that he needed more consultations before endorsing the delegates’ list as he affirmed that he was not at the meeting with the other aspirants where they took the decision to endorse the list.

The suspicion is strong that the delegates list will throw up issues in the weekend primaries as Senator Simeon Ajibola serving senator representing Kwara South in the National Assembly at the meeting recalled with shock how the delegates lists of the last ward congress in Isin and Ekiti local governments among his constituency were substantially substituted before the lists arrived the state secretariat of the party in Ilorin.

The summary of the remarks of other aspirants, namely, Jani Ibrahim, Engr. Babalola, Professor Abdulraheem and representative of Senator Ajadi were that the security should ensure a level playing ground, while the party leadership should ensure that the delegates lists is not tampered with to favour a particular candidate and ensure transparent primaries where credible and widely acceptable candidates would emerge if the PDP is really serious about winning the state in the forthcoming elections.

The state chairman of the party, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, has however flayed Senator Ajibola for supposedly purveying insinuations and washing the party's linen in public instead of seeking for clarifications.

He was quick to assert his position saying that he doesn't take directives from gubernatorial aspirants whom he described as job seekers saying he was the job provider.

The prominent aspirants from Kwara South are Ajibola, Jani Ibrahim, Babalola and Ajadi. The prominent aspirants from Central are Belgore, Senator Gbemisola Saraki and Professor Oba. Alhaji Isa Bio Ibrahim is the most prominent aspirant from the North.

Its obvious that if the PDP candidate emerges from a rancour free exercise, the party could be in a serious position to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. But the fear among the aspirants and party members is that the imposition of a candidate could be the easiest path for the return of the APC to power in the state.