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.

Khairat Gwadabe     Abdullateef Abdussalam     Erubu Oba Zubair     Solomon Edojah     Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye     Yakubu Dogara     Stephen Fasakin     Rueben Parejo     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Flights To Ilorin     Busari Toyin Isiaka     Ilorin West     Alfa Yahaya Road     Chief Imam Of Omu-Aran     Mahfouz Adedimeji     Musa Abdullahi     Muslim Cementary     Taofeeq Olateju     Aisha Gobir     Abdulfatai Baakini     Clara Nwachukwu     Baba-Isale     Isiaka Gold     Sarkin Malamai     New Model Police Station     Lanre Olosunde     Shagari     Radio Kwara     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     Mumeen Lah     Sulyman Age AbdulKareem     Abiodun Oyedepo     Ilorin Anchor Men And Women     Adedipe     Oba Sulaiman Asude     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     Alfa Modibo Belgore     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Saliu Tunde Bello     Funmilayo Zubair     Y.A. Abdulkareem     Abdulrahman Onikijipa     Isiaka Saka Opobiyi     Azeez Bello     Issa Manzuma     Government House     Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar     Yemi Sanni     Victor Gbenga Yusuf     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Baba Issa     Ganmo Electricity Sub-Station     Tinubu     Okala Baba     Bolaji Nagode     Elerinjare-Ibobo     Yunus Oniboki     Kwara State Health Insurance Agency     Tafidan Kaiama     SSUCOEN     Yahaya Seriki     Rafiu Ajakaye     IFK     Oluranti Idowu     Saka Isau     Abdulrahman Abdullahi Kayode     Pilgrims Board     GAMA     Nigerian Correctional Service     Muhammad Akande Olarewaju Odunade     Tunde Oyawoye     Tanke     Olukotun Of Ikotun     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     Abdulfatah Ahmed     Bio Ibrahim     Emmanuel Bello    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Isiaka Gold     Okin Biscuit     Bureau Of Lands     Bank Of Industry     T And K FOODS     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     Ahmad Belgore     Cornelius Adebayo     Public Holiday     AbdulKareem Yusuf Danhawa     Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     Abiodun Abdulkareem     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     Ilorin Central Mosque     Amuda Aluko     Hajj     Ayoade Akinnibosun     Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations     Kwara State Government     Garba Ayodele Wahab     08001000100     Isiaka Danmeromu     Dapo Teni Nig Enterprise     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Aisha Gobir     Government High School Adeta     Summit University     Kwha.gov.ng     Coronavirus     Abdul Jimoh Mohammed     Bio Ibrahim     Funke Adedoyin     Kuliyan Geri     REO CAKES     Kwara     Monthly Sanitation     Labour Party     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport Ilorin     Emir Of Ilorin     KWACOBPA     AbdulRazaq AbduMajeed Alaro     Sunset Workers     Onikijipa     Hijab     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     Ishola Balogun Fulani     Sheriff Olanrewaju     Emmanuel Bello     Student Learning Support Helpline     Galadima     NaAllah     Shaykh Luqman Jimoh     Sodiya     Aliyu U. Tilde     YAKOOYO     Ilorin International Airport     Oloyede     Ajidagba     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Abdulganiyu Salahudeen     David Oyedepo     Moses Afolayan     Ronke Adeyemi     Olumide Daniel Ibitoye     Mohammed Lawal     Damilola Yusuf     Oloriegbe     IDPU     Shuaib Jawondo     Bello Oyedepo     Haliru Yahaya     Isau     Ahmad Olanrewaju Belgore     Umaru Saro     Pacify Labs     Sanusi Abubakar     Jebba