The succession bid ahead of 2011 general elections in States where Governors will be completing their second term in office has set some of the political leaders and other stakeholders on a collision course.

 The development, observers say, might not be unconnected with the series of intrigues and maneuverings that has continued to trail the process of having new person in charge of affairs in those states as from 2011.

 In Kwara State, the bid to succeed Governor Bukola Saraki, whose tenure will end next year, has now kept keen watchers of Kwara politics in suspense. Before now, stakeholders have been publicly pressurizing the Kingmakers in the state especially the former Senate Leader, Dr. Olusola Saraki and his son Bukola to support a possible successor so as to reduce rancor and bickering in the polity.

Information available indicate that Governor Bukola Saraki is said to be interested in handing over power to somebody who has been part of the government and who understands the policies and principles of his administration so as to ensure continuity and bring about rapid socio-economic growth to the state.

There are a number contenders in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have been working underground in order to succeed the sitting governor next year. Among them is the current Commissioner for Economic Development, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, his Finance counterpart Alhaji Abdulrasaq Atunwa popularly called 'Atunwa 1',  Senator representing Kwara North senatorial district Senator Ahmed Ahmed, member representing Edu/Pategi/ Moro federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Hamman Pategi, the  current Minister of Sport  Alhaji Issa Bio Ibrahim, among others.

While all the people mentioned have been discreet about their ambitions, the one that has generated much controversy is that of Senator Gbemisola Saraki, the younger sister to incumbent governor Bukola Saraki. The controversy was recently heightened after some Islamic groups openly appealed to the elder Saraki to prevail on his daughter not to contest at the elections.
Their main reason was that it violates the laws of Allah.

At the 47th birthday ceremony for the governor last year, the clerics used the platform to begin the criticism of the alleged move to install a woman governor in the state in the next dispensation.
Leader of the clerics at the occasion, Sheikh Sanu Sheu said it will be 'immoral' for the Saraki family to present another member of the family for the governorship position of the state next year. He implored both the Governor and his father to look to other parts of the state and pick the candidate that is of proven integrity to lead the state.

Sheu explained that by 2011, Saraki would have spent eight years as the governor of the state while his sister, Gbemisola would be spending her third term in the National Assembly after spending two terms in the House of Representatives and another term in the Senate.

Similarly, members of the Supreme Council for Sharia recently in Ilorin also warned against allowing woman governor in the state in 2011. A statement issued by the group and made available to journalists said such attempt was against the principle of Islamic law. They pointed out that Kwara, being a state dominated by Muslims, should not be seen to be promoting anti-Islamic principles.

The statement said any attempt to install a woman Governor come 2011 would serve a bad precedent and 'would spell a doom' for the state.

As if this was not enough, Sheikh Suleiman Farouk Onokijipa used the recent 77th birthday celebration of Dr. Olusola Saraki to caution politicians to rise against the attempt to install a female Governor in the state.
While describing the entire controversy as one based on rumour, Onikijipa said if left unchecked, the rumour could cause crisis within Saraki's family and could also heat up the polity. The message was instructive because it was attended by virtually all the members of the Saraki family including his wife Florence, son Bukola, daughter Gbemisola and their associates and political supporters.

Also, some Islamic scholars recently issued a statement which called on the stakeholders saddled with the responsibility of choosing a new governor to desist from presenting a woman candidate either for the position of governor or that of deputy governor.

Part of the statement read: "We as descendants and disciples of Sheikh Aalim Sheikh Kamaldeen Al-Adabiyy, Sheikh Adam Al-llory and many other scholars, therefore see it as our collective obligation before our creator, then as a duty we owe those erudite scholars of our beloved town of Islamic principles, to set the records straight on the position of Islam in such a case. This is being done without any motive to either support or work against the candidacy of any aspirant.

"While it is unequivocally stated in Sharia that a woman can occupy, and indeed women have occupied, the position of subsidiary leadership, as ministers, commissioners and the likes, the grand leadership of a state or a nation is exclusively for men, as the masculinity is usually stated conspicuously, as a prerequisite for the position of leadership of a state or a nation.

"Leadership in Islam is a responsibility and not a privilege; hence, restriction of grand leadership to males alone never suggests discrimination against women. The fact is that we have had female leaders in very few Muslims countries, compared to the overwhelming majority of them.

"The fact that most of the so-called democratic countries of the world still have males as their leaders speak volume of the indisputability of differences in natures, propensities and peculiarities of each gender."
However, as the move by Senator Gbemisola gathers momentum, associates say the woman is unperturbed by criticisms from the scholars. Already, sources indicate that she has already set up campaign machinery to help her realize her ambition of ruling Kwara next year.

Before now, the Senator was said to have paid a visit to various stakeholders in the state seeking for their support in her bid. As a way of currying favour from the hard-line Islamic groups, she was said to have sponsored over 1000 people to the Holy Land to observe the Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj and Umrah. She was said to have implored them to pray for her so as to actualize her ambition.

Despite her interest, analysts are of the opinion that the choice of the candidate that will succeed Governor Saraki will depend on the zoning system applicable within the ruling PDP in the state.
So far, Kwara Central has produced two governors which include Saraki and late Muhammed Alabi Lawal. Lawal ruled the state between 1999 and 2003 while the incumbent has been on the saddle since then.

Although, the other senatorial zones in the state have tasted power, their contention is that the Central zone has held the position more than others. The only time the people of Kwara South senatorial district occupied the position was during the Second Republic when Chief Cornelious Adebayo won the election under the banner of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in 1983.

He ruled the state for just three months before the army took over the power. Kwara North occupied the position during the aborted Third Republic when Alhaji Muhammed Shaaba Lafiaji ruled the state for 22 months under the banner of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP).
To many in the state, Kwara is blessed with men who are capable of leading the state at any given time. Their contention is that allowing a female governor will not only be divisive, but may undo all the legacies of the Sarakis in the State.