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.

Salami Adekunle     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     Bilikisu Oniyangi     Danhawa     Dunmade     Ishak Mohammed Sabi     Ilota     Bashir Badawi     Durosinlohun Atiku     Quareeb Islamic Association     Bola Magaji     Lanwa     Kale Ayo     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Oniyangi Kunle Sulaiman     Raymond Olaitan     Federal Road Maintenance Agency     Basic Education Certificate Examination     Frootify     Roseline Oni Aremu     Women For Change And Development Initiative     Tosho Yaqub     Tayo Awodiji     Gbemi Saraki     Rachael Obisesan     Yahaya A Paniyaro     Orisun Igbomina     Ibraheem Abdullateef     Kayode Zubair     Bello Oyebanji     Kola Shittu     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Suleiman Idris     Olawuyi     Yahaya Abdulkareem     Mustapha AbdulGaniyu     Odogun Olushola Gabriel     Ibrahim Jawondo     Folaranmi Aro     Oke-Odo     Wahab Egbewole     Sherif Shagaya     Segun Olawoyin     Offa Grammer School     Sadiq Umar     Abdulfatah Ahmed     Forgo Battery     Zulu Gambari     Saka Balikis Kehinde     Quarry Royal Valley     Aminu Adisa Logun     Tayo Alao     Olatunde Jare     Mohammed Danjuma     Balogun Fulani     Olateju Lukman     Riskat Opakunle     Abdulmajeed Wahab     Ben Duntoye     Mahmud Babatunde Baker     AbdulHamid Adi     Musa Yeketi     Ogidi-Oloje     KFA     Ahmed Saidu Rufai     Muslim Cementary     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Presidential Election     David Oyepinola Adedumoye     Osuwa     National Party Of Nigeria     Ajikobi     Mohammed Abduraheem     Funmilayo Mohammed     KWASSIP     Rafiu Ibrahim     Olokoba Sulyman    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Eleja Taiwo Banu     Wahab Femi Agbaje     Seun Bolaji     Special Adviser On Digital Innovation     Olateju Lukman     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Economic And Financial Crimes Commission     Gabriel Fashanu     Nnazua     Olatomiwa Williams     Abdulkadri Ahmad Alaiye     Saka Balikis Kehinde     C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng     Edu     Lanre Olosunde     Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye     IsDB     Government Girls’ Day Secondary School Pakata     Isiaka Yusuf     Ahmed Bolaji Nagode     Dan Masanin     Obuh     Ibrahim Kayode Adeyemi     Elerin Of Erin-Ile     MAI Akande     Musa Yeketi     Musibau Akanji     KWASIEC     Akom Construction And Engineering Synergy Ltd     Abdulfatah Ahmed     Yusuf A. Usman     Adebayo Salami     Saduki Lafiagi     Toyin Sanusi     Ahman Pategi University     Usman Rifun     Isiaka Abdulrazak     Shaaba Lafiagi     Oke-Odo     Oba-Solagberu     Zulu Gambari     Dasuki Belgore     Bukola Ajikobi     Alabere     Kolo     Wakilin Mata Lafiagi     Ohoro Of Shao     Oyin-Zubair     Isiaka Alikinla     Ayekale     Ilesha-Baruba     Garba Idris Ajia     Sa\'adu Salahu     Idofin     Christopher Odetunde     Salami Adekunle     Iliasu     International Aviation College     Demola Banu     Kayode Alabi     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Saliu Oluwole     Inside Kwara     Femi Oladiji     Centre For Digital Economy     CELF     Ashiru     HAMFAT Clinic And Maternity     HICA     Sheikh Ariyibi     Bisi Kristien     Kale Ayo     Pakata Development Association     Academic Staff Union Of Universities     Bashirat Bola Bello     Ella Supreme Tissue Paper     Moses Adekanye