Intense politics, drama over defection in Kwara

The political structure that formed the ruling APC government in Kwara State has continued to consolidate victory of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, at the Supreme Court over an allegation of false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). The celebration that greeted the victory was described by political observers as part of calculated moves to defect from the ruling party to another one.

As soon as the APC political leader in the state was acquitted of all charges by the court, leaders of the structure commenced call on Saraki to lead them out of the ruling party which they said had not been fair to them.

Many supporters of the political structure, who are eagerly awaiting next line of direction from the ruling political structure would want to tell anyone who cares to know that theirs is a political structure and not a political party.

The people also used the coming of Saraki to Ilorin, the state capital, first time after his Supreme Court victory, to welcome him with fanfare pomp and pageantry.

It was the second time in three years when the President of the Nigerian Senate and Turakin Ilorin, on Tuesday, July 17 returned to Ilorin, his hometown, to a tumultuous welcome from thousands of his supporters and admirers.

The first time was the weekend following his then surprise emergence as President of the Senate. Given the intrigues that preceded the emergence, not a few came to the Ilorin International Airport to catch a glimpse of his arrival and establish if indeed he had ascended the throne as chairman of the National Assembly.

They came, in their thousands and they saw as Saraki emerged from the Presidential plane with the seal of the President, Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His supporters went literally haywire, bursting into different songs eulogising his political sagacity.

Then came his trial over alleged false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Although he never ceased coming home to hold regular consultations with his people, he, however, did not allow any noise around most of his activities. Sometimes in the course of the three years that the trial lasted, Saraki would just come quietly, do his meetings and at times, leave back for Abuja the same day.

But not on Tuesday. This date would be the second time Saraki rode into town in a blaze of glory. It was more than a popularity test; it was a weighty statement of his influence and political spread. It was a show of acceptance. It was a show to mock his political enemies who had condemned him into oblivion with the CCT trial.

As early as 8.00am his supporters had besieged the Ilorin international airport and it’s adjourning surroundings to await his arrival.   Expectedly, motorists and other road users plying the Ilorin-Ogbomosho road had a hectic time as Saraki’s supporters occupied the road with vehicles stretching for about five kilometres on both sides. Security men at the airport had a tough time controlling the sea of heads that were there. At a point, they blocked them from entering the airport, directing them instead to wait outside and observe events from there.

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What they were told was that Saraki would arrive by 1.00pm, so many of them had arrived quite early to secure vantage positions to view his arrival.  And although the flight didn’t arrive until about 4.17pm, they kept themselves alive with dance and music from various live bands. Many who were hungry didn’t mind buying bread and soft drinks at double the normal prices from the airport. There were several false alarms of his arrival during which the crowd from various directions would surge here and there.

When his plane finally landed, it was joy and excitement for the supporters. More importantly, it was time to celebrate a relief over the trial the Senate President himself would later admit to newsmen was a ‘tough’ time.’

He was accompanied on the flight by Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, former Speaker of the state Assembly and chairman House Committee on Judiciary, Razak Atunwa as well as a former presidential spokesman, Dr. Doyin Okupe.

Speaking with journalists, Saraki described his three-year trial as tough but expressed satisfaction that his followers never doubted his innocence as he had told them severally.

But he refused to comment on what he will do over pressure by some of his followers to lead them out of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He only asked newsmen, not to ‘worry’ over the matter.

“As I said, don’t worry, time will tell and when it comes I will tell Nigerians”, he said.

On his trial and the visit, he said: “It’s been a long journey for all my people in the state, and today we thank the Almighty God for this. I want to thank all of them who did not at any time waiver. They believe in my innocence and supported me throughout those three very tough years and it was a great feeling for all of us.

“It is my first homecoming to thank them for all the support they have given me and the victory and for the fact that the truth prevailed and justice was done. Today is a day for me to visit and more importantly thank the people for the support they have given for years.

It was after the talk with newsmen that the real journey actually began. The Senate President’s entourage spent over three hours from the airport to the Emir’s palace, a journey that ordinarily shouldn’t have taken a convoy more than 15 minutes. The elated Senate President stood in his car acknowledging cheers from supporters and onlookers.

At the Emir’s palace, it was another show of solidarity from the royal palace. An obviously elated Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu- Gambari, was full of praises to the Almighty Allah over Saraki’s victory at the Supreme Court and he still offered prayers for him again. And the Emir gave him a beautiful gift; the Holy Qur’an, as a symbol of the spiritual source of his victory.

From the palace, the team went to the arena for Saraki political structure, popularly known as ‘Ile Arugbo,’  the meeting point for his supporters at the headquarters of the Saraki political dynasty. Ile Arugbo is where decisions about the politics of the structure are broken down into chewable formats for the hordes of supporters, particularly the elderly women. At Ile Arugbo, it was dancing and singing, and thanking God. Everybody was relaxed; there was no indication anyone wanted the party to stop.  Saraki himself left the venue at about 10 P.M and that was when engagements shifted to Great Hall; the official secretariat of the structure.

There another round of meetings started between Saraki and the several layers and cadres of his lieutenants and supporters.

The next day, Saraki led other political bigwigs

to the fidau prayers for Hajia Ayisat Omo Agba Baraje, mother of former national chairman of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Alhaji Abubakar Baraje in Ilorin, Kwara state.

The Senate President arrived the Baraje family residence, Baboko, Ilorin, venue of the prayer in the company of Kwara and Benue states governors, Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed and Samuel Ortom respectively. The Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike later joined them.

Other dignitaries that graced the event included the deputy national chairman of the APC (North), Lawan Shuaib and his South counterpart, Niyi Adebayo, Senators Barnabas Gemade, Sha’aba Lafiagi, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad, representatives of the Emir of Ilorin, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, members of the Kwankwansiya in the state and former presidential spokesman, Dr Doyin Okupe.

And still the same day, Saraki later organised a luncheon for National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus and other high ranking members of the party who had come to Ilorin to attend the fidau of Abubakar Kawu Baraje’s mother.

Others who were hosted by Saraki included former Jigawa state governor and PDP presidential hopeful, Alhaji Sule Lamido,  Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, Sokoto state governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwa, his Benue state counterpart, Samuel Ortom, governor Abdulfattah Ahmed of Kwara as well as Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP.

For Secondus, the meeting was his second time of coming to Ilorin within five days. He had earlier visited the Baraje family house on Saturday where he warned against rigging in the now concluded gubernatorial poll in Ekiti state.

The fidau prayer for the repose of mother of former national chairman of the PDP, Hajia Baraje in Ilorin held a day after heroic reception of Saraki was almost turned into a political gathering of sort Saraki hosted what political observers termed a mini political summit with the political big wigs from both the PDP and APC, while politicians of PDP reportedly outnumbered politicians from APC.

The meeting held in his Ilorin GRA residence also had in attendance other PDP stalwarts who did not participate in the fidau prayer joining.

Ahead of Saraki visit to the Kwara State capital, speculations had been rife that the visit would be used to announce defection of both Saraki and the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

However, Saraki in an interview with journalists while arriving Ilorin had said that time would tell his next line of action, calling for patience from Nigerians.

“As I always say time will come for everything, a time will come I will tell people where I am, what I’m doing. For now, it is just to thank the people of the state because the last three years have been tough and they are still committed and remain steadfast and I have to appreciate that. I appreciate that.”

Also, while refuting defection of his principal, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state, the senior special assistant on media and communication to the governor, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, said that he had not been briefed on any planned defection of the governor, adding, however, that “I am aware that my principal and other political leaders in the state are gradually being shown the way out of the APC”.

“Kwara State Governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed is yet to take a decision on his political future with the APC. The presence today in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, PDP Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Governor Samuel Ortom , Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Governor Nyesom Wike, ex-Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, Senator Barnabas Gemade and other prominent political figures was for the burial rites of the late mother of respected politician, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and was not for the purpose of a political realignment. While I have not been briefed on any planned defection, I am aware that my principal and other political leaders in the state are gradually being shown the way out of the APC”, he said.

While the purported realignment, negotiations and consultation of the Saraki political structure was going on with both the state and national leadership of the PDP, the leadership of the political structure is still keeping the impending movement under wrap.

However, leadership and members of the PDP in Kwara state, that have reportedly sensed the impending defection into their fold, had not kept sealed lips. While some leaders of the party had vowed to leave should Saraki political structure joined the PDP, some of them have exhibited softer stance on the matter.

According to the pioneer chairman of the PDP in Kwara state,  Kunle Sulyman, on a radio programme aired in Ilorin last week, said that “we still welcome Saraki back to our party. If he comes, nobody should think we are at war with our son.

“We in Kwara PDP respect everybody’s right, we will welcome Saraki to our party if he comes today, let me make it clear to everybody that there’s nothing wrong with Saraki returning to PDP which happens to be his home party.

“We have been working together with Saraki before now and if he comes, he’s welcome, however, any member who is not comfortable with his coming also has his personal right to move out of the party but we cannot prevent Saraki from coming to the party.

“Those who are saying Saraki is not welcome are mere ignorants who have no stake in Kwara PDP of today, politics is not a war”

However,  a youth group in Kwara state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kwara Strategic Alliance (KSA), has condemned current romance of national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, with some political opponents in the state, saying it is against interest of members of the party in the state.

Addressing journalists in Ilorin at the weekend, coordinator and spokesperson of the group, Busayo David and Ibrahim Sheriff, in company of other members of the group, demanded a sincere apology from the national chairman of the party for not carrying PDP members along on his recent visit to the state, calling on him to retrace his steps and work in the interest of members.

They also said that members of the PDP in the state were kept in the dark over the basis for the relationship with politicians who are not members of the party.

The people, who criticised recent visit of the national leadership of the party to the state without knowledge of the state party executives, described the development as a show of disrespect for the state chairman, state Central Working Committee and all PDP members in the state.

They, therefore, called on Prince Secondus-led administration of the party to bring back political morality and social sanity to the PDP to enable the party to knock out her reputational challenges.

The youth group, which vowed not to allow any attempt to undermine the party constitution and membership in the state, said that every interested new entrant to the party should apply to their wards, saying, “We will resist with every legal means in our disposal to prevent any attempt to hand over, even award structure, to any new entrant into the party”.

“The PDP is, by the nature of its name and ideological inclination, a party that believes strongly and abides by democratic tenets and the rule of law. It is our conviction that the PDP constitution clearly states the procedure for admitting new members into the party which is a bottom-up approach. Why is the national working committee of the PDP acting against its own constitution and principles just to please someone and his cohorts? Is this not an indication that the party is positioning itself as a lawless and immoral one with no iota of respect for its own members and constitution? Why should this be done to the whole structure of the PDP in Kwara state that has given its all to the party?”, he said.