If the late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki was not a Muslim who had to be buried within 24 hours of his death, the Senate would have held a special session to mark his contributions to the evolution of the legislature. He was not only a Second Republic Senator, indeed Leader of the Senate, he died the Patriarch of perhaps the only family that has produced three Senators.

As Senate Leader between 1979 and 1983, his image loomed very large. He was very visible and wielded so much influence on the national political plane. He held his turf in Ilorin and Kwara State and went on to make his impact felt in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and the federal government. Initially, his strength was his money. At the time of return of governance baton to the civilians after 13 years of military rule, very few people who were part of the First Republic were in position to play prominent roles. Only titans like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Aminu Kano and Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim had the clout to come up with political parties. They had their natural followers.

The NPN offered opportunity for those who were not neck-deep in the politics of the First Republic . True, Saraki had been introduced to politicking in 1964 when he sought a place in the legislature on the platform of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC). Then a neophyte in Ilorin politics where the Ilorin Talaka Parapo held sway, the young medical doctor vowed to contribute meaningfully to governance in his locality.

He thereafter built himself up as a formidable businessman and was already an established businessman in the period of transition to civil rule. He was a prominent member of the 1978/79 Constituent Assembly where he joined people of like mind to found the Nationalist Movement. His wealth stood him in good stead as he made a bid for the presidential ticket of the NPN against Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Maitama Sule, Professor Iya Abubakar, the late Chief Joseph Tarka and the eventual winner, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Although he lost, it marked the beginning of his effective sojourn in politics.

Since 1977, he has been a major player on the political field.

Senator Gbemisola Saraki

Prior to the inception of the Fourth Republic , no one in political circles knew anything about the lady who was later to bid for power in Ilorin . But, riding on the back of the father, and running along the track laid by the late Senator, she contested for the Ilorin federal constituency seat and was active in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003.

After four years of effective representation, she moved up the ladder to the Senate and even moved, on reelection in 2007 to become the Senate President. She lost to General David Mark. Last year, backed by the father, she attempted to succeed her brother, former Governor Bukola Saraki on the expiration of his term of office. However, she was stoutly resisted by the outgoing governor who refused the father's plea on the ground that such a move could destroy the family's legacy. The Wazirin Ilorin lost the battle. Bukola won. He succeeded Gbemisola Saraki as Senator representing Kwara Central.

Dr. Bukola Saraki

Like his father, Bukola Saraki is a medical doctor. He also got introduced to the world of business as a director of Societe Generale Bank. Later, he followed the footsteps of the father into politics. At 50, he has been a Special assistant to the President, was, for eight years, governor of Kwara State and chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum. Today, he sits in the Senate as chairman of the Committee on the Environment.

When he contested the governorship in 2003, it was a tough battle against an incumbent Rear Admiral Mohammed Alabi Lawal, a former protege of the late Senator. Dr. Bukola Saraki owed his triumph at the poll to the support of the father.

But, by the time he had to quit the stage last year, he had become his own man, with an independent network and platform. Realiisng that the locus of power had shifted somewhat, Oloye, as the late Senator was known and addressed by his teeming supporters, had to move out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). To prove his total control of the political scene, Oloye founded the Allied Congress party of Nigeria (ACPN) to push the candidacy of Senator Gbemisola Saraki. She lost to her brother, but the family retained control of the political territory. What would have torn the family apart was controlled as the former governor resisted all temptation to publicly denounce his father and the new party.

Now that the patriarch is gone, what happens to the political edifice he left behind? Could Senator Gbemi who could not overcome his brother's preference even with the support of his father now take on the ex-governor? Is Dr. Bukola Saraki now the undisputed king of Kwara politics.

The days ahead will show. But, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki played his part, established a legacy, was a phenomenon and succeeded in building a political dynasty.