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.

Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar     Saba Jibril     Obasanjo     Abubakar B.M     NITDA     Just Law Forum     Umar Gunu     Taofik Abdulkareem Babaita     Alabi Lawal     SAPZ Project     Edret Sabi Abel     Shoprite     Olufolake Abdulrazaq     Idi-Ape     Moses Rahman Popoola     Emir Of Kano     AIT Ilorin     Afetu Of Alabe     Abdulrasheed Na\'Allah     Jalala     Buhari     Abdulbaqi Jimoh     Ajuloopin     07039448763     Charles Ibitoye     Al-Adaby     Malete     Lafiagi     Minister     Lithium     Tunde Oyawoye     Agor Market     Mohammed Jimoh Faworaja     Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf     Okin High School     Hijab     Offa Metropolitan Club     Shehu Adaramaja     Yakubu Danladi     Agbarigidoma     Tunji Folami     Academic Staff Union Of Universities     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Adesoye     Sidikat Alaya     Medview Airlines     IQRA College     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     Post Utme     Shola Odetundun     Bilikis Oladimeji     Elewu     Amuda Musbau     Wahab Kunle Shittu     Saheed Akinwumi     Emir Of Lafiagi     Unicontinental Construction Company     Aishatu Ahmed Gobir     IYA YUSUF     Muslim Media Watch Group Of Nigeria     Shehu Salau     Abdulmutalib Shittu     Haruna Tambiri Mohammed     Mutawali     Bello Abubakar     Oluwarotimi Boluwatife Adenike     Maimunat Oniyangi     National Pilot     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     Ile Arugbo     Olatunji Moronfoye     Kwara State Football Association     Taiwo Joseph     Kwara Restoration Project     Soffiyyallah Kamaldeen     Obayomi Azeez     Yahaya Abdulkareem    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Abdulmumini Sanni Jawondo     Saheed Popoola     Amina El-Imam     Isau     Lukman Adeloyin     Salman Suleiman     Kwara State Television     Maigida Soludero Transit     Mahe Abdulkadir     Ilorin International Airport     Abubakar Abdulraheem     Okeose Christian Cementary     Daud Adeshola     Olatunji Ayeni     Kazeem Adekanye     Lasiele Alabi Yahaya     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Yusuf Aiyedun     Democracy Day     Kwara Hotel     Erubu Oba Zubair     JAAC     Saad Belgore     Alliance For Democracy     Kwara North     Elerin Of Erin-Ile     Olatunji Ibrahim     Tunde Idiagbon Road     Ojuekun     Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf     Ibrahim Abikan     Umaru Saro     Olomu     11th Galadima     Elewu     Moses Afolayan     Allocation     Erin-ile     BECE     AGF Abdulrazaq     Abubakar B.M     Tope Daramola     Taofik Abiodun Ahmed     Ekweremadu     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Shettima     Esinrogunjo     Ishaq Salman     Durosinlohun Atiku     Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital     Valsolar     Aishatu Ahmed Gobir     Kwara Restoration Project     Dankaka     Bayo Lawal     Sidikat Akaje     Wale Oladepo     Kwara Basketball Association     Kuliyan Geri     Ibraheem Adeola Katibi     Segun Olawoyin     Bello Oyebanji     Just Law Forum     Suleiman Idris     Akom Construction And Engineering Synergy Ltd     Nigeria Association Of Women Journalists     NFAI     Idris Amosa Oladipo Saidu     Idris Amosa Saidu     Dapo Teni Nig Enterprise     Saheed Alakoso     Plat Technologies     Idi-Ape     Mohammed Saidu     Abdulganiyu Salahudeen     Kwarareports.com     Muhammed Abdullahi