OPINION - Senate Presidency: This is our chance in Kwara. By Kayode Oyin-Zubair

Date: 2015-04-19

In 1979, Providence presented to our dear state - Kwara the opportunity of leading the Senate of the second republic and the cap was hovering over the late Dr. Olusola Saraki of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Saraki eventually wore the cap and became the senate leader.

Senator Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, another son of the soil was a member of the senate at that time but rode on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) to the upper chamber of the legislative house. As the scramble for the exalted seat in the house started, C.O. Adebayo pitched his tent with his brother, Olusola Saraki even with their clear differential political leanings. Adebayo was proud of doing that and thanked God his brother made it.

You will recall that the former senate leader paid Adebayo back in the 1983 governorship election when he threw his weight behind him to become the governor of Kwara State.

Providence again beckons on Dr. Bukola Saraki to lead the 8th Senate, now as the senate president. Would any son or daughter of Kwara despise this cause?

The chief campaigner of Saraki senate presidency today is Lai Mohammed who holds that this is our chance in the state of harmony, he also believes this window will afford us the opportunity of contributing to nation building while our own is in the saddle.

Mohammed unlike Adebayo belongs to the same political party with Saraki. Mohammed unknown to many has a long standing relationship with the Saraki family. In 2003, before Senator Saraki joined the governorship race, political pundits held that the patriarch of the Saraki family was going to support Alhaji Lai Mohammed who was running on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). I was a coordinator of the Lai Mohammed Campaign Organization (LAMCO) in Ifelodun local government area.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State in 2002 and Lai Mohammed was his chief of staff (de facto deputy governor); when the late Oloye approached Asiwaju for an intervention on a Kwara matter. Lai Mohammed took it upon himself and honored the late pillar of Kwara politics. Little wonder through out his campaign in 2003 and later as the spokesman for MRD/MDD, ACD, AC, ACN and now, he never hurled attack on the Saraki family which many of the unreliable characters within us found unacceptable.

Lai Mohammed is urbane, humble and sincere. At the launch of his book - Witness to History, in Lagos in 2013, Asiwaju exclaimed that he would have protested should Lai Mohammed failed to allow him to present the book. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria's president-elect wrote the foreword to that book. Asiwaju didn't fail to expose the character of Lai Mohammed in his brief speech.

"Lai, you are intelligent, Lai you are smart, Lai you are an honest man. You are only being modest by saying you are a witness to history. You are the history. Lai is ACN, and ACN is Lai." It was about the time ACN was winding up and we had returned our certificate to INEC.

This is the man who believes in the socio-economic well being of his people and had pursued same with vigor over time. He is one man that believes in the Will of the Almighty God on every issue of life. He is a devout Muslim; some of his followers dare to address him as Alfa because he had on many occasions declined to behave like the average Nigeria politician.

As some may not know, Senator Saraki and Alhaji Lai Mohammed are on the same page on every issue as it affect our party since the merger was consummated. The senate presidency can't be an exemption. The cynics will be shocked to the marrow in the nearest future when Kwara finally carry the ace. To be concluded.

Kayode Oyin-Zubair, is the Head of Programs (Mandate 2015) and Secretary Kwara Unity Forum (KUF), political group of Lai Mohammed.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Kemi Adeosun     Abdulganiy Abimbola Abdussalam     Afeyin-Olukuta     Plat Technologies     Abdulhakeem Adelaja Amao     Kwara State Governor     Muhammad Ghali Alaaya     Apaola     Kabir Shagaya     Bola Magaji     Abatemi-Usman     Esinniobiwa Quareeb     Ayekale     Shehu Salau     Hussein Oloyede     Pakata     Is\'haq Modibbo Kawu     Ishak Mohammed Sabi     Ayodele Kuburat Olaosebikan     Abdulrasaq Alaro     Sa\'adu Salau     Bolakale Ayo     Adisa Logun     George Funsho Adebayo     Tunji Ajanaku     Salihu Yahaya     Shuaib Boni Aliyu     Just Law Forum     Ibrahim Akaje     Grillo     Sobi Specialist Hospital     Chief Imam Of Offa     Nigeria Association Of Women Journalists     Alapado     Ahman Pategi     Suraj Tunji Oyewale     Yakubu Shaaba     Emir Of Ilorin     Toun Okewale-Sonaiya     Na\'Allah     FERMA     Olaiya Victor Mobolaji     Ishaq Abdulkarim     Egbejila     Ahmed Dankaya     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Shehu Alimi Foundation     Isiaka Oniwa     Hassan Taiye Salam     Sulaiman Gado     Oke-Ero     Najim Yaasin     Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede     Kwara-SAPZ Project     Hamza Usman     Akeem Lawal     Hamid Bobboyi     Babata     Ajayi Okasanmi     Yusuf Babatunde Abdulwahab     Jalala     Ilorin Central Mosque     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     College Of Education     Marufat Oladosu     Sam Onile     Sidikat Akaje     Yemi Sanni     Photo News     Ilorin South     Association Of Kwara State Online Media Practitioners     Chief Of Staff     Taofik Mustapha     Babaita     Abdulrazak Shehu Akorede     Muyideen Ajani Bello     Elections    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Saheed Akinwumi     Inside Kwara     Muhammed Mahe Abdulkadir     Talaka Parapo     Niyi Ogundiran     Alfa Belgore     John Olobayo     Segun Abifarin     Trader Moni     Eghe Igbinehi     Bamidele Aluko     Young Progressives Party     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     Umar Bayo Abdulwahab     Ibrahim Oniye     Ayeyemi Sulaiman     Baruten     Tosho Yaqub     Garba Ado Sanni     Alimi     Ndakene     Sa\'adu Salau     Plat Technologies Limited     IHS Towers     Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim     Coronavirus     Wasiu Odewale     Abdulrazaq Akorede     Ajayi Okasanmi     David Adesina     Funmilayo Zubair     Bayo Ajia     Baba Idris     Muideen Olaniyi Alalade     Joseph Offorjama     Rafiu Ibrahim     Ilorin Emirate Staff Association     Ghali Alaaya     Bello Oyebanji     MAI Akande     Okedare     Convocation Ceremonies     Kazeem Adekanye     Umar Saro     Taofik Abdulkareem     Memunat Monsuma     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed     Gbemi Saraki     Usman Yunusa     Sabi     Niyi Osundare     Amusement Park     ARMTI     Muhammad Akande Olarewaju Odunade     Doyin Group     Budo Egba     Fulani     Ishaq Salman     Ibrahim Taiwo Road     Biliaminu Aliu     Monsurat Omotosho     Crystal Corner Shops     Afolasade Opeyemi Kemi     Clara Nwachukwu     Amoyo     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     Village Alive Development Association     Mustapha AbdulGaniyu     Michael Nzekwe     Aliyu Salihu     Femi Ogunsola     Oko-Erin     Twitter     Bibire Ajape     Abdullahi Imam Abdullahi     Ishaq Oloyede     Sunday Otokiti