EMMANUEL ADDEH writes on the political evolution of the strongman of Kwara State politics, Dr. Olusola Saraki, and the impending battle between him and his son, Governor Bukola Saraki

Since the Second Republic, 77-year-old medical doctor, Dr. Olusola Saraki, has bestridden the Kwara State politics like a colossus. For most politicians in the state, the fear of Saraki, who was a chieftain of the defunct National Paty of Nigeria, is the beginning of wisdom. The Ilorin-born politician, who was the Senate Majority Leader between 1979 and 1983, played a prominent role in the election of Alhaji Adamu Attah as the governor of the state in 1979. When Saraki fell out with Attah, he transferred his support to Chief Cornelius Adebayo, the candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria, which was then a rival political party.
The elderly politician means many things to different people. To some, he is the quintessential political colossus, unrivalled philanthropist and empathetic leader. To others, especially those opposed to his style of politics, the Second Republic senator is an archetype of a slave driver, a power monger and political strategist.
The godfather of Kwara politics was educated at Eko Boys High School Lagos, where he obtained his secondary school certificate. He is believed to have come from a humble background and by dint of personal struggles attended Chatham College of Technology, England, University of London, Licentiate Royal College of Physicians and St. George‘s Hospital Medical School, London.
In the Third Republic, Saraki was a member of the Social Democratic Party and he almost singlehandedly installed Alhaji Shaaba Lafiagi as the governor of the state. Although Saraki is Yoruba, he is more comfortable when referred to as a northerner. In the endless transition of former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Saraki contested for the presidency of the country.
Saraki, popularly referred to as Oloye, is usually compared to the late Lamidi Adedibu, who was nicknamed the garrison commander of Oyo politics, for his deftness in grassroots politics. Many analysts, however, believe that Saraki’s approach is more refined than Adedibu‘s because of the former‘s education.
At the advent of the current democratic dispensation, Saraki joined the All Peoples Party. Though it is alleged that he has never been a card carrying member of any political party, nevertheless, any party he identified with always won elections in the state. This is why it is usually believed that Saraki is the only party in Kwara State.
In 1998, he became the national leader of the APP, a major financier and member of its Board of Trustees. He was also believed to be an influential factor in the victory of the APP in Kwara and Kogi States between 1999 and 2003. He was also reported to have single-handedly financed and installed Mohammed Lawal as the governor of Kwara State. The duo fell apart half way into Lawal‘s tenure.
Lawal, a former naval officer, was said to have fallen out with his godfather due to the overbearing posture of the Kwara strongman. In 2003, rather picking an outsider, the Kwara kingmaker backed his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, which he defected to after leaving the APP. The elderly man reasoned that since he had been “betrayed” by previous governors he installed, his son should be the chief executive of the state.
In the 2003 elections, despite the enormous state resources at Lawal’s disposal and power of incumbency, which plays a major role in Nigerian politics, the late naval officer lost to Saraki.
But it has not always been victory for the 77- year- old politician. Those who are adept in the political history of the state would readily contend that Oloye had been floored in the past and would need just a slip, a little miscalculation, for him to be demystified again.
According to them, Saraki had in the past been defeated by even less prominent sons of Kwara. For example, Oloye, was said to have suffered serious trouncing in the hands of one Babatunde Alanamu in the 1965 election, when he first ventured into Kwara politics from his base in Lagos.
He was said to have been so disappointed with the result of the election that he went back to his medical practice in Lagos. He also lost the then Social Democratic Party‘s primaries in 1992 and was out-schemed in the APP primaries in 1999.
But political pundits believe that after taking time to re-plan his strategy, he came back and readily capitalised on the prevailing poverty and low literacy level in the state. He won the Kwara Central senatorial ticket in 1979.
Oloye dictates who gets what, when and how in Kwara. But love him or hate him, he is never bothered by criticisms. It is widely believed in the state that what is needed to wrestle power from the Waziri of Ilorin is a coalition of committed Kwarans. They contend that those who pretend to take over from him only come to the state during elections.
This assertion was confirmed by the Action Alliance Chairman, Senator Suleiman Salawu, who hails from the state, said recently that, “Saraki devotes 24 hours of his time and almost 100 per cent of his financial resources to ensure he remains the kingmaker in the state. The day the opposition is able to match him time for time, money for money, strategy for strategy, we should be ready for victory.”
However, ahead of the 2011 poll, Saraki’s authority is seriously being challenged, this time from very uncommon quarters. His anointed son seems to be insisting that the field should be liberalised and internal democracy should be allowed to prevail in the party.
While Oloye has openly endorsed his daughter, Senator Gbemisola, his son, the incumbent governor is said to be favourably disposed to the emergence of the present minister of Sports, Ibrahim Bio.
Nevertheless, his die-hard supporters believe he is the most wonderful thing to have happened to the state. This loyalty can easily be noticed anytime Baba Oloye, as he is fondly called, comes to Ilorin. One would notice a very long queue stretched around his residence. In fact, it is widely believed that his Ilofa house belongs to the destitute in the state.
“Saraki knows every taxi driver who brings goods to the house by their names, he knows the names of their wives and children and he does everything to solve their problems. He would insist on seeing everyone that comes to see him with one need or the other,” a woman who had been waiting all day to collect her stipend told our correspondent on Tuesday.
But this strategy has been vehemently criticised by his critics, who believe that “rather than teach his supporters how to fish, he is fond of doling out fish to them” thereby oiling the master and slave disposition towards them.
Though his staying power in the politics of the state has always been a source of intense debate, pundits say Saraki’s hold on Kwara is guided by hard politics, brutal frankness (though self-centred most times), ruthless strategising, high accessibility and an understanding of the psychology of his supporters.
He is a man who is believed to treasure loyalty, absolute loyalty, from his supporters. This has caused some level of apprehension for some political appointees in the current administration who do not know whether to stay loyal to father or his son.
But beyond the elevation of Baba to the position of a deity, to be worshipped by all those who aspire to succeed politically in the state, there seems to be a growing call that he should relinquish political power to allow the people of Kwara to decide who should govern them in the years to come.

Nevertheless, his die-hard supporters believe he is the most wonderful thing to have happened to the state. This loyalty can easily be noticed anytime Baba Oloye, as he is fondly called, comes to Ilorin. One would notice a very long queue stretched around his residence. In fact, it is widely believed that his Ilofa house belongs to the destitute in the state.
“Saraki knows every taxi driver who brings goods to the house by their names, he knows the names of their wives and children and he does everything to solve their problems. He would insist on seeing everyone that comes to see him with one need or the other,” a woman who had been waiting all day to collect her stipend told our correspondent on Tuesday.
But this strategy has been vehemently criticised by his critics, who believe that “rather than teach his supporters how to fish, he is fond of doling out fish to them” thereby oiling the master and slave disposition towards them.

all ye who use thugs should learn from this

much as i dislike saraki, thats what grassroots campaigning is about

^^^ That same paragraph stuck out to me too.

oyb:

all ye who use thugs should learn from this

much as i dislike saraki, thats what grassroots campaigning is about

that's what i've been trying to tell some folks o. . .it's not about how exposed, educated or incorruptible you are, it's all about how the people on the streets feel about you.

Crap!

Saraki is not different from Adedibu.

@semidlyfe
you just might be wrong there o. . .at least we haven't heard stories of people being beaten up just cos they dared to oppose him

at the very worst, their MOs are different

like IBB like Obj, like Adedibu like Saraki

Not from kwara state but has lived in ilorin for 7yrs and lived in ibadan for about 9yrs so i can differentiate,will chose saraki over adedibu anyday anytime,haba formal education de oooo