By Demola Akinyemi
Senator Bukola Saraki had until recently reigned supreme on the
political landscape in his native Kwara State, easily shifting the political
machine of the state from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All
Progressives Congress, APC. Now, his immediate younger sister, Senator
Gbemisola Saraki has taken control of the rival PDP in an unfolding game that
will amaze many.
Senator Bukola Saraki’s political dominance had become
indisputable after the demise of his father, Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki,
the only Nigerian to have raised two senators from his household.
Senator Gbemi Saraki who lost the 2011 governorship to the
candidate handpicked by his brother had following the election taken a leave
from the political field until recently when Bro. Bukola and his supporters
including the governor decamped from the PDP.
Since then, Gbemi who is said to have the ears of the national
chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu‘azu and some in the presidency, is
believed to be strategising on means and methods to overthrow her brother’s
political machine in the state.
The ministerial appointment for Kwara which insiders claimed was
initially slated for Gbemi was reportedly scuttled by other stakeholders in PDP
who, it was learnt, did not feel comfortable with Gbemi getting the plum
position just weeks after re-joining them in the party.
Other stakeholders who are reportedly being considered for the
slot include the Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Professor Shuaib Oba
Abdulrahaman , Deacon John Dara, and Engineer Sunday Adebayo Babalola among
many others.
The grouse of those opposed to giving Gbemi a ministerial
appointment and with it the leadership of the PDP in the state was that they
could not after serving the late Oloye, serve his son and proceed now to serve
his daughter.
But with the political horse trading and intrigues that dogged
the state congress of PDP held on April 14, 2014 which produced the current
state executive under the chairmanship of Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, a renowned
lawyer, its has become clearer who is in charge of PDP in Kwara State.
Gbemi who was a member of House of Representatives for eight
years and Senator for four years gave a political master stroke in that
congress underlying correct tutelage under her late father. Gbemi according to
impeccable sources was able to get the majority of the executive including the
chairman, Oyedepo, the secretary, Alhaji Alhassan Bamu and the state woman
leader, Hajia Nimota Suleiman Oba Wankasi in an election the elder statesman
Chief Barnabas Gemade and his team from the national headquarters of PDP
supervised and declared as free and fair.
Though a rival group in the party had proposed Mr. Bode Ojomu
for the chairmanship under the aegis of what they dubbed the Freedom Group, the
group, however, came to submission and pledge loyalty to the winners after some
little protest about alleged irregularities.
Oyedepo has since moved to assert the determination of the PDP to reclaim the state.
Oyedepo has since moved to assert the determination of the PDP to reclaim the state.
Briefing newsmen recently, he said issues that had in the past
divided the stakeholders including the recent congress have been put behind.
“The great assignment of the rebranded PDP is to democratically capture political power in the state in year 2015 general election,” he said.
“The great assignment of the rebranded PDP is to democratically capture political power in the state in year 2015 general election,” he said.
“We are on a rescue mission and the vision is to provide good
governance for the depressed and oppressed people of Kwara State”.
“We equally have a mission to use the instrument of government to provide a platform of unity, love, fairness and justice in heterogeneous community of Kwara State” he stressed.
“We equally have a mission to use the instrument of government to provide a platform of unity, love, fairness and justice in heterogeneous community of Kwara State” he stressed.
But in a swift reaction, the Kwara State chapter of the APC
dismissed the PDP and its plans saying that a party that ‘lacks capacity’ to
conduct successful congresses cannot govern a state successfully.
The APC in a statement by its publicity secretary, Alhaji
Sulyman Buhari berated the PDP for displaying a glaring dearth of capacity to
comprehend government achievements, including comprehensive welfare packages
for workers in the state. It described the much talked about re-branding of the state PDP
as a failed attempt to deceive the people of the state.
“For the unlucky PDP, the people of Kwara State who PDP intends
to hoodwink by claims of re-branding, do not need Mr Iyiola Oyedepo (the state
chairman of PDP) to address any press conference before they know the true
state of PDP.
“Kwarans are well informed, no amount of non-existing claims or
distorted figures or both can deceive them.
As the two political parties buckle under the eagle eyes of the Sarakis,the electorates again will decide where the pendulum will swing when the time comes.
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