With his recent endorsement for a second term by his predecessor, Senator Bukola Saraki and other party leaders in Kwara State, the coast seems clearer for Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. Shola Oyeyipo writes

Prior to the last week endorsement of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State for a second term by former governor and the political leader in Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki as well as other party leaders, there were fears among the governor’s loyalists that he might not secure the leader’s nod for many reasons.

Kwarans from the South senatorial district of the state had the feeling that it might become politically expedient for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to pick its candidate from either Central or North senatorial district, as a way to curtailing the PDP, which is most likely to pick its candidate from Central since the district produces the highest number of votes in the state.

Although Saraki had never said Governor Ahmed would be allowed for another term, the long period of his silence over the issue gave room for speculations and various permutations as to why the governor may not represent the governor at next election.

There were also those contemplating that Kwara North ought to produce the governor after Ahmed’s first tenure in office. But these projections were complicated by two prevailing situations: one, the recent defection of the Senator, the governor and practically all other political office holders in the state from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC and two, the sustained quest by people from the South to ensure that their own remains in power beyond 2015.

This stand could however have an effect on the chances of the ruling party to retain the governorship if not properly handled because the people of the South were only ready to support a candidate from their zone, since it took a lot of political agitation to get Ahmed in, in the first place.

During some of the town hall meetings Ahmed had with his people, they gave express approval for his second term in office. Apart from that, the people had immediately embarked on massive mobilisation of Kwara South indigenes resident in Lagos and other parts of the country to return to home and obtain voters’ card as a way to boost the number of eligible voters from the area ahead of the election.
Obviously, having followed the trend, Senator Saraki eventually broke his silence last Thursday when he approved the second term bid of the governor at a meeting with some stakeholders at his Ilorin, Kwara State residence for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
“I appreciate Governor Ahmed and I believe he deserves a second Term. I, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, hereby endorse him for another four years in office,” Saraki was quoted as saying.

Ordinary as the statement may sound, it brought huge relief, not only to the governor but to the entire people of Kwara South and his teeming supporters across the state, who have shown solidarity with him and expressed support for his second term in office basically because of the conviction that he has not only been loyal to his predecessor and leader, but also upped the ante of performance.
In a reaction to the endorsement, the Chairman of Kwara South Youth Forum, Comrade Kazeem Adekanye, said “the endorsement is a welcome development and sign of victory for APC in Kwara State.”

Adekanye said the endorsement would bring about equity and fairness to the people of Kwara South and North senatorial districts that have been agitating for rotational governorship. 

The Saraki endorsement is no doubt complementary to the gale of endorsements that have come the way of Ahemd in recent time. For instance, notable politicians including former governor and National Assembly member representing Kwara North at the Senate, Senator Shaaba Lafiagi; House of Representatives member, Alhaji Aman Pategi, business and community leaders from the region, as well as traditional rulers were all present when respectable traditional ruler, the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Kawu Haliru, recently endorsed the governor.

The monarch’s approval which took place at a town hall meeting convened by political office holders from Kwara North which comprise Moro, Edu, Patigi, Kaiama and Baruten added to the barrage of endorsements that the governor has received from the district and it also underscored the developmental projects and empowerment schemes the administration had embarked on in all parts of the state in view of their conviction that the governor deserves a second term.

To watchers of Kwara State politics, Haliru’s endorsement is valuable and one capable of changing the game in the coming election, if actually the monarch spoke the minds of his people because the North, like Central also votes in bulk and has the second highest voting strength after Central.

Another thing is that the perceived contention between the North and South senatorial districts for the governorship ticket was laid to rest. This, coupled with the relentlessness of the governor’s kinsmen who are working to put the governor in a comfortable position for the election, is an added advantage.

With the endorsements from Kwara North and Kwara South, many are looking to see what the outcome of the Kwara Central Senatorial district town hall meetings would produce, as political office holders from the region are also expected to follow suit after studying the state government’s scorecard during his first term.

Apart from endorsements coming from the senatorial districts, many groups have continued to declare support for Ahmed’s second term bid. Recently, the people of Ifelodun local government area of the state and members of Joint Motorcycle Riders Association (JMRA) in the 16 local government areas joined others in supporting Ahmed.

Chairman, Elders Forum of Ifeldun local government, Alhaji Kola Yusuf said: “We people of Ifelodun plead with the leadership of our party, APC and other party members in the state to give the incumbent governor a second term to enable him continue with the good work he has embarked on all over the state with the small funds at his disposal.”

Unlike what obtains in other states where commercial motorcyclists are the most prominent antagonists of government, the chairman, JMRA, Alhaji Abdulraheem Akanbi, also led the Okada riders, to the Government House, Ilorin to pledge support for the governor and the APC leader in the state, Senator Saraki, to ensure election victory for the party in 2015. They acknowledged the fact that the state government is creating an environment conducive for them to carry out their daily business.

Recently too, women under the aegis of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) declared support for the governor when the president of the body in Kwara State, Hajia Barakat Atunse, said: “Without being rhetorical, sir, your shared prosperity project content is having far-reaching positive effects on Kwarans. It is devolving and trickling down to the door steps of all Kwarans regardless of political colouration or inclination.

“The projects touch on employment, education, health, socio-economic transformation, water, energy, road, etc,” and as such, pledged the support of the women folk to the state government.

The list of endorsements is quite long, but in capping it, when the Adekanye-led Kwara State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) gave its endorsement, the body vowed that it has the instruction of over one million youths in the state to unanimously endorse Ahmed for a second term and the reason given was that the administration has performed well. 

“I have the mandate of the over one million teeming youths of the state to commend your administration for the excellent work you have done or initiated for the overall development of the state especially in the area of youth empowerment and employment, payment of bursary and provision of scholarship to the students and other youth oriented projects which have seen to the empowerment of 10,000 youths.”

The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Ahmed, Alhaji Abdulahab Oba, said: “The acknowledgments of the achievements of government and the show of support are well received by the governor. They are sources of encouragement to him and they will help him do more.”

Currently, the Kwara State Government prides itself in its accomplishments in various sectors, which include among others, the completion of over 31 road projects at Oke-Ode/Igbaja road, Okerimi-Oro, Araorin/Arandun, market/Landmark Road in Omu-aran and others in other districts.

The Vocational Centre at Ajase-Ipo, designed by government to produce the needed manpower for the state and curtail the influx of non-Kwarans, who are taking over certain appointments considered too technical for non-properly trained professionals, is in partnership with a renowned school of vocational training, City and Guide, London, United Kingdom.
The government is also fulfilling the promise to make potable water available to every citizen in the state as 234 boreholes were sunk while 17 water works were rehabilitated.

The Quick Win initiative for youth employment, a temporary measure targeted at making youths in the state gainfully engaged and to eradicate insolence and social crimes, which the governor promises would translate into permanent jobs, is another selling point for the administration. His ability to sustain the Shonga Farm, established by the Saraki administration as a commercial farm is another plus.

By embarking on Independent Power Project (IPP) to drive industrialisation, rehabilitation of schools, construction of 800km of roads and embarking on operation no potholes, the introduction of Harmony Holdings, Kwara Bridge Empowerment Scheme (KWABES), completion of the Aviation College started by the Saraki administration, reduction of the fees payable by students in the state-owned University and provision of N100 million micro credit to micro and small scale enterprises are considered parts of the factors responsible for the support Ahmed is getting.

Aside the above, five General Hospitals located in various parts of the state were rehabilitated with 13 ambulances and drugs provided to hospitals. The state government has installed transformers in 135 communities, connected to the national grid, while farmers get support from government, particularly in the area of fertilizer provision.

While it is getting clearer that Governor Ahmed is most favoured to pick the APC ticket, it is not clear yet who the PDP will be putting forward to contest against him among some of the aspirants in the party.

But as at last count, those itching to clinch the ticket include the presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Makanjuola Ajadi; former Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin and current chairman, Federal Character Commission (FCC), Shuaib Abdulraheem and a ranking member of the National Assembly, Senator Simon Ajibola.

There is also the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate during the 2011 election, Dele Belgore (SAN); reputable industrialist and former Managing Director of the defunct Nigerian Airways, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim and younger sister of the APC leader, Senator Gbemi Saraki, among those to slug it out with Ahmed.