IF ever the dream of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) for a marriage with the Kwara State chapter of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) comes true, the major beneficiary would be Senator Bukola Saraki.    

The former governor is currently the "beautiful bride" courted by the opposition but allegedly loathed, and hunted by the hierarchy of the PDP and its controlled government at the centre.

The primacy of the inheritor of the legendary "strong man of Kwara politics," Dr. Olusola Saraki, in the scheming by the opposition to effect a change in the leadership of the country in 2015, was stated categorically in Ilorin on Wednesday.    

This was during the visit of the leadership of the APC to Kwara, to woo the government and people of the state to join the opposition grouping ahead of the 2015 general elections. 

It was in continuation of the opposition visits to the seven aggrieved governors of the PDP, popularly called, 'G-7’.    

The general consensus of the hosts was that only Senator Bukola Saraki could negotiate the movement of the PDP-controlled government of Kwara to the APC.    

Interestingly, Saraki was absent at the parley, and yet, he exerted an effusive image and influence on his people.    

Still, the overt assertion by the people of Kwara was, however, believed to be a mere declaration, as sources told The Guardian that the agreement might have been sealed for the state chapter of the PDP to move into the APC. 

The sources noted that before the public outing at the Government House in Ilorin at about 11:45am, the APC leadership held a closed-door meeting with Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, "where the agreement was perfected."

But another source, a top notch of the PDP in the state, under condition of anonymity, said, "we are solid within the PDP, my brother. We are only showing Mr. President how valuable we are in the political circle of Nigeria."

"We want him (President Jonathan) to know that there is no way he could do without the aggrieved seven governors.

"We know that having seen how valuable we are even to the opposition, he would listen to our points. But if he failed, we would await the directive of our leader, Dr. Bukola Saraki." 

Among the APC leadership on the visit were the APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Retd); former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; former Benue State Governor, Senator George Akume; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari; former Ministers, Hassan Lawal and Musa Gwadabe; the Interim National Treasurer of the APC, Bashiru Noibi and Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

ON hand to receive the visitors were Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed; the state Chairman of the PDP, Ishola Balogun Fulani; the Secretary of the party in the state, Yemi Afolayan; the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abdulrazak Atunwa; Secretary to the State Government, Shola Gold; all the newly-elected 16 local governments Chairmen, and elders of the PDP in the state.    

According to Ahmed, the nation was at a critical point of its history due to its inability to rival other developing nations of the world in terms of social, political and economic growth. 

However, the governor, who attributed the lethargic growth to poor leadership, described the APC as a formidable party. 

He said while the aggrieved parties within the PDP continued to fine-tune arrangements that could amicably resolve the existing rift between them, the existing political structure in Kwara State would make Senator Saraki the most competent person to determine what would be the next political move of the ruling party in the state.    

Besides, Ahmed said the people of the politically articulate state would not price away the structure at any cost, adding that, "it is an existing structure for the past 40 years with an assured election-winning machinery." 

The governor declared that the people within the political dynasty would respect any accord with a political party that would allow operation of internal democracy.    

He noted: "The APC has turned itself into a formidable party. One can reasonably say that the leadership of the party has come to Kwara to market the party.

"But before anything else, let me tell the leaders of the APC that we have a structure called 'Election Winning Machinery’ here in Kwara State.

"We are a one big family here, under a political structure inherited by our leader, Dr. Bukola Saraki. He has given all of us joy and comfort that he can lead us well.    

"That is why we want to see ourselves joining hands with any party with respect for internal democracy because that is where our strength lies."

The governor commended the APC leaders for sharing the visions of the party with the people of Kwara, stressing, nonetheless, that, "we are still under the leadership of the PDP."

"Grey areas of differences have been isolated and are being reviewed. We hope that the interest of Nigeria will be paramount at the end of the day.

"Once the leadership is consulted, the right decision will be respected by us all. We have a leader who listens and thus directs us.    "

At the forum, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Alhaji Atunwa, noted that any political party that subjects any of its members to undue prosecution and lacking in internal democratic culture could not offer Nigeria true democracy.

Atunwa added: "In Kwara State politics today, we have one man who can deliver the state. He is no other person than Saraki.

"The system is such that when he speaks, the entire Kwarans have spoken. It is a factual statement backed up with antecedents."

APC Interim leader, Chief Akande, who went straight to the business of the day, told the PDP leaders in the state that the APC leaders would simply want them to align with the progressives in order to form the government at the centre in the next general elections in Nigeria.    

For Senator Tinubu, until all the progressive-minded Nigerians come together, it would be difficult to effect any positive change in the polity.

He said the nation does not deserve the present youth unemployment, poor academic standards and insecurity within it, "if the right party had formed the government at the national level."    

The former Lagos State governor described the APC as a child of necessity, formed in order to save the country from the present social, political and economic quagmire. 

He believed that the condition of Nigeria was not beyond redemption, urging Kwarans to "join the moving (APC) train."    

He said Kwara would gain economically if it pitched its tent with the progressives, citing developments within Lagos and Oyo states among other states on the platform of the APC.

"We need to come together and salvage Nigeria," he said. "When we are together, no one can intimidate us and they will fear us. But when they see us oscillating, they will handpick us like chickens.

"We are inviting you to join us for the sake of our country," he added.    

General Buhari, while reminiscing that the dream to form the APC dates back to 2005, said that the leaders of the opposition parties in Nigeria suddenly realised that without their unification, it would be difficult for them to take over government at the centre.

What happens in Kwara 

WHILE the APC leaders seem to be interested in the national reformation of the nation, the fate of the APC potential governorship aspirants in the Kwara State should come under scrutiny. 

The two leading contenders for the position are the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC and Oro-born, Irepodun Local Government Area politician, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Ilorin-born but Lagos-based legal icon, Dele Belgore (SAN).

Would the proposed arrangement cede the ticket to either of the two? And where do you place members of the PDP coming, on board? 

Already, the PDP, in firm control of the 16 local government councils of the state, 22 members out of 24 in the State House of Assembly, the three senators and six House of Representatives members, is considered the stronger party of an envisaged merger plan in Kwara.   

According to insiders, the ongoing political permutations, aftermath of the visit of the APC leadership, are: the PDP will produce the next Governor, the Speaker of the House and Secretary to the State Government. 

Besides, the APC would cede the leadership of the party to the PDP, but take active part in the sharing of envisaged political spoils of the merger.

Whichever way the political pendulum eventually swings in the state, Senator Saraki may be the greatest beneficiary. 

Kwara, in the last four decades, had always belonged to the mainstream of Nigerian politics. The closest move away from this type of political style was in 1983 when the late political icon of the state, Dr. Olusola Saraki, ordered a protest vote in favour of the progressive governorship candidate, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, who eventually won the political battle.

But when the political coast became clearer, 'Oloye’, as his numerous supporters called Saraki, went back to the political mainstream, being one of the financiers of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN). 

The rest is now history.

Already, Bukola has endeared himself to the hearts of the PDP members and leaders in the state. His romance with the APC will swell his political ranks.

And who knows, he may eventually get his age-long desire realised under the progressive arrangement - a shot at the Presidency. 

At the forum, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Alhaji Atunwa, noted that any political party that subjects any of its members to undue prosecution and lacking in internal democratic culture could not offer Nigeria true democracy. He added that, 'in Kwara State politics today, we have one man who can deliver the state. He is no other person than Saraki. The system is such that when he speaks, the entire Kwarans have spoken. It is a factual statement backed up with antecedents.’