Date: 2018-05-13

BARELY a year to the next general election, the political camp of the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, back in his home state of Kwara, appears to be bedeviled with a new wave for crises as some of his political associates, aides and other lieutenants are up in arms against one another, following clashes of interests over their political aspirations in 2019.

Sources within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north-central state told The Nation that some close aides of the Senator, who is the indisputable leader of the ruling party in the state, may fall out with him soon over his alleged preferences for some aspirants over some others in the race to political offices, unless something is urgently done to arrest the deteriorating situation ahead of the next general election.

An aide of the Senate President, who served as a Special Adviser during the last administration in the state, while craving anonymity as he is not authorised to speak on the matter, expressed concern over what he called the mounting pressure on Saraki from a number of his senior associates as regards their 2019 political aspirations and or calculations.

"What we have on our hand is a situation where some of our very senior leaders within the Saraki political family are fast allowing their political ambitions to cause unnecessary rancor. They seem to have either forgotten how we handle such things or are unwilling to allow the usual process to play out. Such talks about Dr. Saraki favoring some people over some others are causing these tensions you claimed to have noticed.

Findings by The Nation revealed that the quest for some positions by some ofSaraki's men back home in Kwara State is fast degenerating into open rivalry amongst his supporters, with some of them already engaging in accusations and counter accusations. This is just as some of the issues being alleged to be causing disaffection within the group still remain in the realm of speculations.

It was gathered that Saraki is currently battling with a number of political frictions arising from clashes of interests over some positions, among some of his associates across the state, leading to serious internal rivalry that now threatens the cohesiveness of his once solidly united political family. Not unaware of the development, the Senate President has on several occasions called his men to order, urging them to shun all forms of divisive politicking.

"In December here in Ilorin, after lamenting what he called dangerous politics by some of his people, Saraki begged everyone to leave 2019 in the hands of God and stop fighting one another. That notwithstanding, his aides and associates are still at loggerhead over who should take what in 2019. From a fierce struggle for the senatorial seat in the southern part of the state, to an unending tussle over some House of Representatives seats across the state and even a rumored rumble over how the next governor of the state should emerge, the list is growing.

Battle for the south

If information from Ilorin, the state capital, is anything to go by, the alleged desire of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to head to the senate in 2019 as the representative of Kwara South Senatorial District is one of the issues causing disaffection among supporters of the Senate President. Ahmed will be finishing his second term as governor and will not be eligible to seek re-election as governor.

While many of his supporters see his rumored senatorial aspiration as normal and deserved, those opposed to his desire say he is asking for too much as the current occupant of the seat Dr. Rafiu Ibrahim, is just in his first term and has declared intention to return to the senate in 2019. Both Ahmed and Ibrahim are lieutenants of the Senate President who is the leader of the ruling APC in the state.

Sources close to the three politicians say the looming political face-off between the Governor and Senator Ibrahim is already causing clashes among their supporters, especially back home in Offa, Oyun Ifelodun Federal Constituency of the state, where they both hail from. "We have had cases of their supporters fighting themselves back home in the south," our source said.

Meanwhile, The Nation gathered that the alleged preference of Ibrahim for the senate seat ahead of Ahmed by Saraki is already public knowledge within the camp. This, sources claim, has further heightened tension as supporters of the governor have vowed to ensure he gets the ticket. ‘He is the seating governor and should ordinarily be the leader of the party in the state.

"It is not out of place for him to want to go to the senate in 2019 after the expiration of his term. He will not be the first to do that. So, why should he not be given the preference to achieve that in 2019? But we are not unaware of the efforts of some people to use their closeness to certain quarters to turn the table against him. How that will work out is what we will all have to see, "another party source said.

But another source claimed it is not as simple as the governor just wanting to go to the senate after his tenure. "He became governor on the goodwill of someone. His choice back then was based on certain considerations. If certain considerations are now suggesting he cannot displace someone from the senate, then shouldn't his supporters understand that? We have a way of handling this before now," he argued.

And if the Senate President thought his only headache in Kwara South is how to choose between Ahmed and Ibrahim in 2019, it turned out wrong with the entrance of Hon. Saheed Popoola into the race. The member of the state House of Assembly, though not as close to Saraki as Ahmed and Ibrahim, given that he was in the Action Congress (AC) before the formation of APC, is yet another politician whose ambition is unsettling the politics of the state.

The Nation gathered that associates of the Senate President are worried that with the ongoing clamour that Offa should be allowed to produce a senator for the southern district like other towns in the area, Popoola’s aspiration may alter permutations in 2019. "Popoola is a member of the APC too and he is from Offa, a town that is yet to produce a senator since the return to democracy."

So fierce is the struggle that a recall process against Senator Ibrahim by some of his constituents is now a subject of allegations and counter allegations. While those championing the recall said it is because the Senator has not represented them well, Ibrahim and his people insist the entire process was initiated by "those seeking to become senator in 2019."

Ahmed Akorede, Secretary of Kwara South Unity Forum, the group championing the recall process, denied reports that the group is working with the governor of the state to victimize Senator Rafiu with the recall attempt. He affirmed that members of the group are out to exercise their constitutional power to recall any political representative who has failed to meet the expectation of the people that voted for him.

But former Transition Implementation Chairman, Irepodun Local Government, Kashim Adekanye, described the planned recall as cheap blackmail. "All of us, the followers of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, are united under that banner. We have thrown our weight behind the senator. "Apart from this, Ibrahim has been consulting with the APC leaders in the senatorial district from time to time as a loyal member of the APC and has committed to meeting the yearning and aspirations of the people."

Speaking recently through his media officer, Ibrahim said, "No doubt, these individuals, from our findings, enjoy the romance and patronage of some top government officials. We have seen clear pointer that it's a conspiracy and a direct message from the people who are eyeing the Kwara South Senatorial seat come 2019. We can never be deterred or distracted by these faceless and invisible elements that only exist on the pages of the newspapers."

Another crisis in the north

In the northern senatorial district of the state, some allies of the Senate President are also at loggerheads, though for a different reason entirely; the tussle for the governorship ticket of the APC in 2019. Reports say the APC has already zoned its 2019 governorship ticket to Kwara North, which has never occupied the post since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

With the zoning favoring his district, former governor of the state and staunch ally of Saraki's, Senator Shaaba Lafiagi, is believed to have made up his mind to return to the Government House in 2019. But it is being strongly rumoured that Saraki is rooting for 45-year-old Hon. Mohammed Zakari, a member of the House of Representatives.

Zakari, who represents Baruten/Kaiama Federal Constituency in the lower chamber, is on a second-term. He is said to have impressed the Senate President with unending display of loyalty and vibrancy since joining his political camp years back. It is this alleged support from Saraki that is pitching Zakari against other gubernatorial hopefuls, including Lafiagi.

Lafiagi, who was the governor of the state from January 1 1992-November 1993 under the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), sees himself as more deserving of the ticket, not just as a former governor, but as the current highest political holder from the zone. And in spite of all he hears and sees, the older politician, according to his supporters, believes he will get Saraki’s nod when the chips are down.

It is also believed that some of the Senate President's supporters may be toying with the idea of pushing Bolaji Abdulai, former Sports Minister and spokesman of the APC, into the governorship race as a form of mid-way option should the hostilities being generated by the rivalry among the current contenders continue. "Abdullai is yet to tell anyone he wants to be governor but it is not impossible to see him run if what we are hearing is anything to believe," a source said.

"Abdulai is not the only person close to the leader that is being mentioned. For now, Hon. Baago Patigi, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mohammed Zakari, a member of the House of Representatives, Senator Shaaba Lafiagi, Rt. Hon. Ahmad Ali, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, and many others who are close to Dr. Saraki, are reportedly interested in the race," our source added.