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.

JSSCE     Ejidongari     Funmilayo Mohammed     Azeez Salawu     Lafia Aliyu Korasabi     Oniyangi Kunle Sulaiman     Bamikole Omishore     Akanbi-Oke     Abubakar Imam     Ben Duntoye     HYPPADEC     Alapado     Garba Idris Ajia     Yusuf Abdulwahab     SWAN     Alapansapa     IF-K     Kubra Kazum     Folorunsho Alao     Magaji Are     Toyin Falola     Tafida Of Ilorin     Mumini Ishola Hanafi     Baruten     Rueben Parejo     Bello John Olanrewaju     Ibrahim Bio     Salary     Mamman Saba Jibril     Kunle Suleiman     Erubu     Alimi     Abubakar Baba     ITEM 7     Ronke Adeyemi     Saba Mamman Daniel     Quarry Royal Valley     Elerin Of Adanla Irese     Democracy Day     Oba Abdulraheem     IYA YUSUF     Bankole Omisore     Kayode Ibrahim     Babata     Wahab Abayawo     Hijab     CLAY POT     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Kwara State Geographic Information Service     Oko     Ilorin.Info     Kamoru Kadiri     Government High School (GHS), Adeta     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     Labaeka     Ahmad Uthman     Sabi     Olatunji Bamgbola     Saadu Gbogbo Iwe     Jaiz Bank     Patience Jonathan     Iponrin     Aisha Abodunrin Ibrahim     Bilikisu Gambari     Obayomi Azeez     T And K FOODS     PharmAccess Foundation     Yusuf Zulu-Gambari     Joseph Alex Offorjama     Makama Of Ilorin     Oloye     Bilikis Oladimeji     Ishola Abdullahi     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Omupo     Funmilayo Braithwaite     Leke Ogungbe    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Ibraheem Abdullateef     Ahmad Belgore     Sheikh Ariyibi     Erubu Oba Zubair     Obayomi Azeez     Aishatu Ahmed Gobir     Haashim Initiative For Community Advancement     Moji Makanjuola     Galadima     Student Learning Support Helpline     Kayode Ishola     Oluwole Dupe     Tunji Arosanyin     SAPZ Project     Mohammed Abdulahi     Age AbdulKareem     Kwara University Of Education     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     Majlis For Sadakah, Zakat And Waqf     Vasolar     Makama     Umar Adelodun     Kudirat Arinola Lawal     Seun Bolaji     Saka Balikis Kehinde     CLAY POT     Sambo Murtala     Hakeem Lawal     Radio SBS     Labour Party     Www.Kwarareports.com     Local Government Pension Board     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Adebayo Mohammed Kamaldeen     KFA     Michael Imoudu National Institute For Labour Studies     Suleiman Abubakar     Lukman Oyebanji Fagbemi     Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road     Sa\'adu Salahu     A.G.F Abdulrasaq     Saka Adeyemo     Undergraduate Bursary     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     KWACOBPA     Alabi Lawal     Isaac Gbenle     Musa Yeketi     Apaola     Tosin Saraki     COVID     YAKOOYO     Saba Jibril     Kwara State Council Of Chiefs     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     Umar Ahmed Gunu     Salake     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Ayinke Saka     Ajeigbe     Suwa-Arabs     Ibrahim Taiwo     Yusuf AbdulRasheed     CELF     Rafiu Ajakaye     KSIRS     GAMA     Saeedat Aliyu     Budo Egba     Yahaya Muhammad     NYSC     Alikinla     KWASEIC     Jaiz Bank     Rapheal Ashaolu     Sai Kayi