Barely seven years after the demise of a former Kwara state governor, Rear Admiral Mohamed Alabi Lawal, he was posthumously honoured by the incumbent, Abdulfatah Ahmed. UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB writes on the new political chapter in the state.

After almost a decade of seeming unending political feud between the late former governor of Kwara state, Rear Admiral, Mohammed Alabi Lawal and the Second Republic Senate Leader, Dr Olusola Saraki, a new chapter may have been opened in the political history of the state. By extension, the battle was also taken up by Idi-Ape, Lawal's ancestral home.

The development is coming barely three weeks after the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed gave a post humous award to the late ex-governor. The award was Ahmed's "second good will" gesture to the family of the late governor.

Lawal, Saraki's emergence

Lawal was elected governor of the state between 1999 and 2003, after he had served as military governor of Ogun state under the administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd). Prior to his election, the former military governor had a romance with Saraki who supported his governorship bid on the platform of the then All Peoples Party (APP) in 1999.

With time, things fell apart between the duos following some irreconcilable differences. This development further pitched the Idi-Ape people against the Sarakis. Consequently, , Baba Oloyee, as Saraki is fondly called, defected with scores of his supports to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and worked against Lawal's second term bid in 2003.

In Lawal's stead, Bukola, the medical doctor son of Saraki became the governor, thus deepening the crisis between the Sarakis and the late governor's kinsmen, as well as his political supporters. In fact, the political situation of the state during the period under review almost stripped the state of its pride as the state of harmony, owing to the politics of bitterness and acrimony that played out then.

It was indeed a bitter experience as many Kwarans would not forget in a hurry the widespread violence, maiming, killings and character assassinations perpetrated by supporters of the two political giants. Nipping the accompanying criminality in the bud was, to say the least, a herculean task for the security agencies, especially the then Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, who incidentally is now the Inspector General of Police.

The residual effects of the upsurge in criminal activities recorded then culminated in cultism in the state's higher institutions of learning before it was curbed to the barest minimum with an anti-cultism law enacted by the Bukola Saraki's administration. While the struggle lasted, there was widespread speculation that the ousted governor would take a bite at the number one seat again in 2007. It was in the midst of all this that Lawal died in 2007, thus making Saraki's return for a second term a fait accompli.

His demise therefore left his political camp in disarray with many of his supporters defecting to various political parties including the ruling PDP while some few others decided to be on their own rather than join any other political party. Among the latest defectors to the PDP were members of the Democratic Peoples Party, (DPP), a party financed by a two time governorship aspirant in the state, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo. Olawepo contested against both Saraki in 2007 and Ahmed in 20011 respectively but lost his bids. Though Olawepo is yet to make any public declaration on whether or not he would join any party, he was said to have advised his supporters interested in politics to join the ruling party.

Scaling all opposition hurdles, Saraki ruled the state for 8 years, the first governor to achieve such feat and handed over to Ahmed, a commissioner in his cabinet in May 2011 in what the PDP tagged legacy continuity government.

Ahmed as the mediator

Early this year, the state government jolted many Kwarans by presenting a cheque of N10, 766,438.37 million as pension to the family of the late governor. Presenting the cheque to the family, the governor who was represented by his deputy, Elder Peter Kisira, said, it was the policy of his administration to give people their rightful dues.

He said, the presentation of the cheque was the good will of his administration, and promised that he would not neglect any part of the state un-catered for irrespective of political affiliations. Ahmed assured that whatever good one does in the service would not be forgotten by his administration, and thanked the office of the state's Head of Service for facilitating the cheque's payment.

Also, the HOS, Alhaji Dabarako Mohammed, explained that under the 1999 constitution as amended, all elected governors and their deputies, who were not impeached were entitled to pension. He said even governors that were sacked from office by the military junta were also entitled to pension, and clarified that the constitution allows for the next of kin of the beneficiaries to stand in for them.

Dabarako recalled that two former governors of the state, Senator Mohammed Shaa'ba Lafiagi and Chief Cornelius Adebayo, and their deputies had similarly benefited from the same gesture. He said, the sum of N10, 766,438.37 was calculated by the State Pension office as the pension due to the former governor from the expiration of his tenure till the time he died.

Responding, a lawyer, Mrs. Fatimah Abdulrasaq, who stood in for the Lawals, thanked the state government for the gesture.

The posthumous award

And in further appreciation of the deceased, Ahmed again named the Ilorin Golf Club after Lawal. Commissioner for Sports, Anthony Kayode Towoju, told journalists in Ilorin, the state capital that the decision was arrived at the weekly State Executive Council (SEC) meeting.

Explaining, Towoju said, "The late Mohammed Lawal in his life contributed to the development of golf in the state. When he assumed office in 1999, the Ilorin Golf Club was in comatose. He did everything to rehabilitate it and raised it to international standard. By the time he left, Ilorin Golf Club was second to Ibrahim Babangida Golf Club in Abuja.

"He sponsored many competitions at the state and national levels, which led to human capital development. Therefore, Ilorin Golf Club will now be known as Mohammed Lawal Golf Club, Ilorin."

"Our legend in sports, the late Rashidi Yekini, equally merited to be honoured, and after a serious debate, the state observed that his image has rubbed off positively on the state. The newly-constructed Olaolu-Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Quarters Road has been named after Rashidi Yekini." Towoju added.

Reactions from Idi-Ape community

Following the announcement of the award, the late governor's family otherwise known as Idi-Ape community embraced the gestures which they demonstrated by paying a solidarity visit to Bukola, the PDP leader in the state, now a serving senator. He took over the leadership title from his father prior to the 2011 election.

The delegation led by Alhaji Saadu Sulieman Aare, included the National President of Afonja Descendant Union (ADU), Alhaji Olola Kasum and the union's scribe, Alhaji Isiaka Amao.

A source privy to the meeting told Blueprint that the spokesman of the delegation, Alhaji Isiaka Owolabi said the purpose of their visit was to acknowledge Saraki's purposeful leadership and as well present the community's request before him.

"The people of Idi-Ape community were not driven by personal or material gains rather by the honesty and purposeful leadership of the leader, which has brought about growth and development in the state," he said.

Owolabi commended the posthumous award given to their late kinsman and also called for the resuscitation of the title of Baba-sale of Ilorin, which according to him, had been put to abeyance by the Ilorin Emirate Traditional Council. He however decried the state of infrastructure in the Idi-Ape community and called for government's attention in the interest of the people of the area.

In his response, Saraki was said to have described the late governor as a "hero" and assured that the disagreement between them had been 'buried and buried for good."

"The message today with the visit is to further confirm to the whole world that there is no love lost between the two families as they were always united for long," the senator said.

The former governor assured them of government's attention on their appeals including the resuscitation of the title of Baba-sale as requested.

ACN, PDP in war of words

Expectedly, considering the magnitude of such a politically sensitive decision, it became another round of bickering between the main opposition in the state- the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the ruling PDP.

In its reaction, the ACN in a statement by its state chairman, Kayode Olawepo, described the Saraki's overtures to the late governor's family as "political prostitution."

"The so-called reconciliation is an act of political prostitution and desperation on the part of PDP/ Sarakis whose agenda remains to exploit the people of the state.

"Being a man of history, if Lawal were to be alive today, it is clear he would still be in the trenches, fighting the injustice and economic sabotage being perpetrated against the people of Kwara.

"We know that genuine leaders, sons and daughters of Idi -Ape and indeed Kwarans would honour Lawal and others who died fighting these oppressions certainly not by any fake reconciliation with their oppressors."

And in a swift reaction, the PDP said the Idi-Ape people were not appendages of the ACN and the party should therefore steer clear of the issue.

In a statement by its publicity secretary, Mas'ud Adebinpe, the party said, "The People of Idi Ape and indeed the people of Ilorin Emirate are one inseparable people including the Saraki and Lawal families who cannot be separated, no matter the political propaganda by one usurper seeking relevance at all cost.

"The comment credited to Olawepo was a testimony of his shallow knowledge of his political history, therefore reconciliation, harmonious co-existence and peaceful relationship would mean different thing to him ..."

"The eminent citizens of Idi-Ape quarters who in their own wisdom formalised the long resolved differences between them and their own brothers did so to stop the likes of Olawepo that has been profiting from non-existing crisis over the years from doing more damage not only to them but to the entire good people of Ilorin Emirate.

"Olawepo should be told in clear terms that the people of Idi -Ape are not appendages of ACN and should watch his tongue as the era of the same brothers engaging in do- or-die is gone and gone forever. Kwarans have come to know all the enemies of progress in the house which Olawepo and his co-travellers represent.

"Never again shall the people of this great emirate allow intruders and mischief makers like Olawepo to interfere in their affairs again. Olawepo should steer clear," Adebimpe added.

But some posers suffice at this point. Why the award now and not under the previous administration? How was the deal reached? What does the Saraki family seek to achieve? And how genuine is the truce with the dead?

Considering what the state passed through while the fight between these political titans lasted, one would ordinarily embrace the option. The worry however remains the controversy trailing the award, especially from the ACN and PDP. This appears to give a different meaning to the whole issue thereby making people ask if the political class is not really playing politics with the dead.

Furthermore, observers are curious to know when Lawal's kinsmen would also pay similar visit to the governor as they did to his predecessor and PDP leader in the state, in appreciation of the gesture. Over and above all, it may not be out of place to say that the return of the Lawals to the 'mainstream' is a further strategy by the Sarakis to further strengthen its grip on the dominance of the state polity. But again, how far can the reconciliation go?

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