SARAKI AND HIS UNENDING POLITICAL BATTLES

The President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Bukola Saraki has gone through many hurdles in his political career, but like a cat with nine lives, he has scaled through every one. However his current travails since he emerged as the head of the 8th legislative assembly seems one too many. BIODUN OYELEYE examines the latest noose around the man some of his admirers call oloye, wondering whether there is a way out of the present logjam.







Will the Senate President, Bukola Saraki win the current battle he is fighting? Will the son of the late political giant, Olusola Saraki, go into political irrelevance? What would be the next phase for the Saraki political dynasty? Will Saraki quit the statge for his sisters? Is the Saraki family hegemony about to end in Kwara State? These are some of the questions begging for answers as the Senate President recently dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rejoin his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Before the defection of Saraki, indications had emerged that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC had meant to humiliate Saraki on Tuesday July 31, 2018. The body, led by National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, had issued a query, asking Saraki to explain his involvement in ‘anti-party activities’. Believing that the man was already on his way out of the ruling party, the query would have served as a catalyst to the dismissal of the Senate President from the party. But Saraki got the ploy hours before the letter could be served; he issued a lengthy statement announcing his defection from the APC. Expectedly, the news went viral and drowned whatever effect the NWC query could have had on his political profile. It was to be his last battle within the APC as it had been with every of the battles that confronted him while in the party. He won that battle. A week earlier, he had outsmarted the security system designed to make it impossible for him to attend senate plenary simultaneously with his deputy, Ike Ekweremandu. But once aware if the plot, Saraki sold his enemies a dummy and the police wasted valuable time ‘arresting ‘an empty official convoy of the Senate President.

LOSING KWARA APC BATTLE

The only time Saraki seemed to have lost in the battle of wits that pervaded his days in the APC was the sudden dissolution of the executive committee of the party in Kwara State, two days before his defection. The dissolution came on the same day his protégé in the executive committee were maintaining the legal line of being in the APC, still being loyal to its leadership and ready to win Kwara for APC in 2019. Insiders confirmed to Saturday Telegraph that it was a strategy by the Saraki camp to stall the other faction loyal to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed as well as make it difficult for elements in the hitherto existing PDP in the state who are likely to move back to the APC in anger, from being able to do so until it would have been too late. They never bargained for the NWC wielding its big stick on them. Thus, in that game of political chess, many believed that Saraki lost. “Saraki is someone who understands only results; he drives himself selflessly, he has a tunnel vision and a singular commitment to getting results”, was how a former National Publicity Secretary of the APC and one of his acolytes, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, once described the Senate President.

FORAY INTO POLITICS



Since his entry into politics in year 2000, some years after he qualified as a medical doctor from Rush Green Hospital in London, Saraki has had to fight battles, almost consistently. Even those 11 years before he ventured into politics, which he spent working at his father’s establishment; Societe Generale Bank, has been brought into the political battles that faced him. His first real battle was the decision by his late father to field him as a replacement for the then governor, Mohammed Lawal. That battle, which raged for the better part of 2002 until 2003, has remained a landmark in the political history of the North Central state. It was a battle that left many dead, several wounded or maimed, while properties were lost. Lawal had been a loyal follower of the elder Saraki and had been picked ahead of other notable contestants in the Saraki political structure, among them Alhaji Shaaba Lafiagi, who had spent only one year in office as governor of the state before the military putsch of 1993 converted him to the rank of ‘former governor’.

EARLY CLASH

The first two years of their relationship was so rosy that the political godfather had began to speak about a second term for his ‘governor’ before the end of his first year in office. But soon after, things fell apart between the duo to the extent that they had to go their separate ways. While the Sarakis went to the PDP, Lawal stayed with the then All Peoples Party (APP) which later became the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). Lawal, a retired Rear Admiral and former military governor of Ogun State, was said to have boasted that he was in possession of the party’s certificate of registration; hence Saraki had no option than to leave him with the documents. It was a battle of wits, much as it was a battle of deep pockets. The election proper was like war, but the Sarakis won a n d Bukola became the governor. He was sworn into office on May 29, 2003 and became the first child of their legendary father to occupy such an exalted position despite his years of political engagements in the state. He would go on to become the first in that lineage and indeed in the state, to win a second term election and complete his constitutional mandate. When he was about to complete the tenure, Baba gave a verdict about his son: “I am very proud of what he has done. I am very, very proud of him because for so many years, for so many, for 30, 40 years for what I have been shouting for, for what I have been clamouring for is progress in Kwara State. Take for example, Baruten in the northern part of Kwara. In 1979 I remember when I went to campaign in Baruten I slept outside because there was no room for me to sleep in. No where comfortable that I could sleep. I had to sleep when everybody else had gone to bed. They gave me mattress and I had to sleep on the tar outside at the veranda; I slept outside there. And by 6am, I hurriedly got up, washed my face, dressed up and got going. “At that time, Baruten was not part of Kwara. I was looking for anybody that wants to be governor to make sure that Baruten is part of Kwara. In other words, develop the place so that people can go there and come to Ilorin without problem. Today, my son has made the road costing more than N6 to N7 billion in that local government. I am very, very proud of him for what he has done in the zone.”



BATTLE OF THE SARAKIS

But the beautiful lines were not enough to stave off the aftermath. Indeed as at the time Baba spoke those words, there had been rumours of a rumble within the Saraki dynasty. A younger sister to Bukola and a Senator representing Kwara Central, Gbemisola, had her eyes on the governor’s seat. She could not persuade her brother to support her ambition but her father agreed with the dream. However, both could not dissuade Bukola and thus came the emergence of the Okere group; reference to the squirrel used as one of the symbols of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), the new party floated by Baba to put his daughter into the Government House.

EDGIN OUT GBEMISOLA



Saraki’s argument for refusing his sister’s proposal then was that it would have amounted to cheating other parts of the state if after four years of Lawal, an Ilorin indigene, and eight years of himself, also coming from the same zone, to have another governor also from Ilorin. Besides, he was quoted to have once quipped, “is the governor’s seat meant for our family alone?” This much was revealed through Islamic clerics who came to speak at the then governor’s birthday ceremony in the early morning of December 19, 2009. Led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Imam Bashir, the clerics said Saraki was fighting to protect the integrity of his family name over the matter and warned their colleagues across the state against taking money to preach heresies. “The governor is fighting for the integrity of his father’s house, he believes another Saraki should not be in Government House”, Shehu had said to wide acclamation by the crowd of well wishers. The governor is saying that we have been governor for eight years, we have been Senator for eight years and been in the House of Representatives for four years. Haba, there are many other notable sons of Ilorin”. The argument by Baba Saraki however was that there was no need for zoning in the state once he, as the leader, could find someone to do the right thing with administration. The late Waziri of Ilorin while addressing newsmen on the controversy said: “I want somebody to continue from where Bukola stopped, we can’t say we are pursuing justice and equity at the expense of good performance. Zoning as far as I am concerned does not exist in Kwara. Now, I don’t want to gamble just as I had done in the past. I don’t want to pick just anybody that will turn around to be my greatest undoing that is why I have endorsed Gbemi, my daughter.” Unable to reconcile their differences, both father and son parted ways; Bukola in the PDP, and his father and sister in the ACPN. There was not much violence as was witnessed in the 2003 edition, but many argued that the battle was worse at the home front for the family. Athough Bukola won the election, with his candidate, AbdulFattah Ahmed, he told newsmen to credit the victory to his father. The father eventually died in 2012, although not before the duo had reconciled along with their respective group leaders. In summary, Bukola won that family war too.

THE TRIUMPH OVER OYINKAN

While serving as governor, Saraki also had to battle another of his siblings; Oyinkansola, who appeared in forefront of those who didn’t want Bukola to win a re-election in 2007 when she picked the gubernatorial ticket of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). Although she lost at the poll, Oyinkansola headed for the Tribunal to argue that her brother won in dubious ways, and that she was excluded from the poll unduly. At the initial stage, the Governorship and Legislative Elections Tribunal struck out her case but she pursued it to the Court of Appeal which on November 2, 2007, directed the Tribunal to listen to her. They did and on January 23, 2009, the Tribunal gave her verdict, unanimously dismissing the petition, citing inconsistencies in the choice of names for the petitioner and her party in documents used for the proceeding.The party complaining was not the one before the court, the judges declared. The Chairman of the reconstituted tribunal, Justice Ayuba Garuba Kwajafa agreed with Saraki’s counsel that Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) the party filled by Oyinkansola, was not known to law. The tribunal held that only the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) was the registered political party known to the law. The tribunal held that since law did not know the party that filed the petition, the petitioner had lost any locus standi to prosecute her cause since an unknown party cannot sponsor a candidate. Besides, the tribunal also agreed with Bukola that the name presented on the nomination paper with INEC was Oyinkansola Aminat Oluseun and not Aminat Oyinkansola Saraki, which was used to challenge the result. The tribunal also established that Oyinkansola presented two running mates, Julius Abiola and Sunday Owolabi, but that none of them appeared before INEC screening committee and although the tribunal took cognisance of the letter of nomination of Oyinkansola dated January 18, 2007, it agreed with arguments by INEC that she was validly nominated but deemed to have abandoned her candidacy by the none appearance of her running mates for screening. The tribunal thus declared that the petition was frivolous and therefore upheld the election of Saraki as the undisputed winner of the April 14, 2007 governorship election in the state.

SARAKI VS JONATHAN



When Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan contested for the Presidency in 2011, he had Saraki as an ally. Very close sources to the duo revealed how an elated Jonathan had told his wife, Dame Patience, not to bother campaigning in Kwara, having seen by himself the kind of massive crowd Saraki assembled to attend a rally he took part in the state capital. But before his four years in office lapsed, the duo had become enemies. Saraki, in the National Assembly as a Senator, had moved a motion for the investigation of fuel subsidy regime in the country. He also wanted to succeed Jonathan as President. Narrating his experience on the two issues on December 1, 2017, during the launch of a book, ‘On A Platter Of Gold: How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria’, written by Bolaji Abdullahi, the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Saraki recalled: “I like to share one or two things that will probably summarise the former President Jonathan. I remember when I was a floor member and I came across this issue of fuel subsidy and the way the country was losing close to about N1.3 trillion. In the history of this country,I don’t think of any singular kind of corruption as huge as that. “I had a motion already, I wanted to present on the floor of the Senate. I felt as a member of the ruling party at that time, it was only proper I discussed it with the President. I booked an appointment to see Mr. President, I went with my paper. “I started with the background of how people brought in petroleum products. I said Mr President, in the past, people used to get award letters from NNPC to bring in PMS, DPK, and make 10, 20 per cent profit. I said Sir, they’ve taken it to another level. Now, they get an order to bring in products. They don’t want to make 10, 20 per cent any more. They will get an offer to bring in a cargo of 20,000 litres, they will bring in 5,000 to be stamped for 20,000. “Instead of making 10 per cent, they make ten times the amount. I was telling the President, thinking the President will get very agitated. He said, ‘Senator Saraki, you know this oil business is very oily.’ I was stunned and taken aback but in a way, that was Jonathan, in a sad way that was who he is.” “And if you look at the second encounter, I will recollect the day I decided I am going to contest to be President. I felt that I didn’t want Jonathan to hear it as news. I booked an appointment to go and see him. I didn’t know what I was thinking that day.I went to the Villa, he said ‘come in, come in, how can I help you? I looked at the President of a third world country and said Mr President, I came to tell you that I am going to be contesting your seat. Jonathan looked at me and said, ‘oh, okay, good luck, good luck.’ If it were any other person, may be, I would not have left the Villa but that again sums up Goodluck Jonathan. I think it is us Nigerians that produce the kind of leaders we get. No matter what you say about him, I don’t think he was someone who was desperate for power.” But whether Jonathan was desperate or not, Saraki would eventually lead five state governors and several members of the National Assembly away from the PDP into a merger with the APC. That merger led to the emergence of President Muhammad Buhari as President. Saraki won again.

SARAKI VS CCT

But that victory also led Saraki into another battle.This is still current. With his emergence as President of the Senate against the preparations of a section of his party, Saraki had swum into troubled water again and was to be arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on allegations that he had not declared his full assets as required by law for political office holders. It was a trial his opponents claimed would last a matter of weeks, after which he would be removed as Senate President, indeed removed as a senator upon conviction and made to abstain from politics for at least 10 years, as stipulated by the law. His traditional opponents at home, most of whom allegedly provided the documents to nail him, hoped so much this would be the end of ‘Leader’ as Saraki is called by his followers. His followers were jittery but after three years in the dock, the Supreme Court freed him. He won again. Reacting to the verdict of the apex court, Saraki said: “At the end of a tortuous journey of 1018 days counting from September 22, 2015 when the case began at the Tribunal, I am happy that I have been vindicated. “As I said in my first appearance at the CCT, this is a politically motivated case. The case was trumped up in the first instance because of my emergence as the President of the Senate against the wishes of certain forces. Ordinarily, I doubt anyone would be interested in the asset declaration form I filled over 15 years ago.”



OFFA ROBBERY

But while the CCT trial was ongoing, on April 5, 2018, tragedy struck in Offa, one of the three major commercial communities in Kwara State.

Some daredevil armed robbers invaded the town, killed nine policemen and about 21 civilians and went away with undisclosed amount of money. It was bloody and caught the attention of the global audience. Saraki went to commiserate with the community and facilitated the deployment of armoured personnel carrier to restore confidence. But two months after, the police came out with a bombshell: some of the suspects arrested over the robbery claimed they were political thugs working for the Senate President. One of them, Ayodele Akinnibosun aka AY, told newsmen this much when he said: “I am the chairman of Liberation Youths Movement in Kwara South. I work for the Senate President and Governor Ahmed as political mobilising youth and we have been working for long time since he was governor. “We mobilise and do political arrangement for him in Kwara south. Where we can’t win, we make arrangement there; we scatter elections if we don’t win.” However, Saraki asked the Nigerian public to disregard the “baseless allegation” and ploy by the police to implicate him by all means, insisting consistently that the police was on a revenge mission following the running battle between the Senate and the IGP. “When the Offa robbery incident happened, I was the first top public official to pay a visit to the place and right there in the palace of the traditional ruler, I put a call through to this same Mr. Ibrahim Idris, the IGP, requesting him to make certain specific security arrangements as demanded by the people. “Members of the public will remember that on May 16, 2018, I alerted the Senate about the information passed on to me by my State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatai Ahmed, over a ploy by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to frame me up by getting some suspected cultists arrested in Ilorin to implicate me. It is believed that the timely leakage of the plot in that case aborted the use of the suspected cultists to implicate me. Now, it is the Offa bank robbery suspects that are about to be used. “This plot is concocted to embarrass me and, in the mind of the IGP, it is his own response after his refusal to honour the invitation by the National Assembly, headed me, for him to come and offer explanations on the rampant killings and violence across the country. “Like the earlier one, this frameup will also fail as I hereby state categorically that I have no link with any band of criminals. “It is however sad that this abuse of the criminal investigation process aimed at intimidating and over-overawing the legislature, thereby obstructing it from doing its work, is a big threat to our democracy”.

SARAKI, R-APC AND DEFECTION TO PDP

Soon after the Offa robbery saga began, Alhaji Abubakar, an acolyte of the Senate President, issued a letter to the leadership of the APC, on behalf of Saraki’s group in the party, the nPDP. It was a letter of complaint and an ultimatum to sit down with the group to review their positions for the forthcoming general polls. The letter came after the APC congresses that were marred by factionalisation in almost all the states. “When you look at the letter, the advice we gave to the party was that within seven days, because of the time to the congresses that were imminent, we were warning in that letter that we had no time for the party to be able to win and plan towards the forthcoming elections. “I have counted about 21 states where we had parallel congresses. My number may not be sacrosanct but I counted 21 states. And I was asking myself, how many states does APC control? You can imagine that. I have had the opportunity of chairing the PDP and the impression people have is that you don’t have internal democracy. As bad as people thought it was then, we never had 21 where we were having parallel congresses. As a matter of fact, there are three traditional parallel congresses or election areas when we were in PDP and we were always prepare for them.” From the letter, to discussions with party big wigs, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Adams Oshiomole, the RAPC members eventually left the APC to rejoin the PDP. Explaining his rationale for taking another plunge at a political battle, Saraki said: “This is not a decision that I have made lightly. If anything at all, I have tarried for so long and did all that was humanly possible, even in the face of great provocation, ridicule and flagrant persecution, to give an opportunity for peace, reconciliation and harmonious existence. “Perhaps, more significantly, I am mindful of the fact that I carry on my shoulder a great responsibility for thousands of my supporters, political associates and friends, who have trusted in my leadership and have attached their political fortunes to mine. “However, it is after an extensive consultation with all the important stakeholders that we have come to this difficult but inevitable decision to pitch our political tent elsewhere; where we could enjoy a greater sense of belonging and where the interests of the greatest number of our Nigerians would be best served. “While I take full responsibility for this decision, I will like to emphasise that it is a decision that has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist. “In retrospect, it is now evident that the PDP has learnt more from its defeat than the APC has learnt from its victory. The PDP that we return to is now a party that has learnt its lessons the hard way and have realized that no member of the party should be taken for granted; a party that has realized that inclusion, justice and equity are basic preconditions for peace; a party that has realized that never again can the people of Nigeria be taken for granted. What the experience of the last three years has taught us is that the most important task that we face as a country is how to reunite our people. Never before had so many people in so many parts of our country felt so alienated from their Nigerianness. Therefore, we understand that the greatest task before us is to reunite the county and give everyone a sense of belonging regardless of region or religion.”

RISING OPPOSITION AGAINST SARAKI AT HOME

But all these are not enough to stop the opposition from agitating against his leadership at home as Lai Mohammed seems to be taking the battle to the lion’s den. On Wednesday, members of a collation of politicians loyal to Mohammed and opposed to the Senate President, under the umbrella of Kwara Liberation Group in their hundreds marched around major parts of Ilorin, the state capital, alleging bad political leadership and calling for a change of guard. The peaceful rally, tagged a mega rally of 300,000 Kwarans in three Kilometres, three hours three minutes and three seconds, was aimed at mobilising residents to effect what they described needed change from current situation in the state to a progressive change. The rally took off from the Geri Alimi area and went through Surulere/Oja Oba, Emir’s Road before terminating at the popular Post Office area. The protestors who were escorted by the police and other security agencies, sang various songs and carried placards with diverse inscriptions. A statement by the chairman of the organisation, Dr. Amuda Aluko, a member of the defunct National Reconciliation Committee (NARECO), alleged that Kwarans had for long been deprived and denied basic benefits expected from a functional representative government who enjoyed goodwill of the people to get to power. “We should collectively put a stop to the unholy use of both our capital and human resources to a more meaningful and masses oriented options”, he said. Although the group claimed to be non partisan, members openly canvassed support for the APC, particularly when they heard that the former chairman of the PDP in the state, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo had asked them to defect to the APC. Secretary of Save Kwara Group, Comrade John Adegboye, called for change in political leadership of the state, saying that people are now more enlightened on what they want for the state and for themselves. “The essence of the rally is to show the whole of the country that Kwara State political terrain has changed. We have matured as a people, we are now more enlightened. We are more exposed and sound in what we want. The political sphere of the state has been turned into hegemonic, dynastic kind of thing. That has been stunting the state’s progress and development. We want a complete overhaul of the political system of the state. “Kwara is going to 52 years. Majority of the states that started 20, 30 years after the state are beginning to catch up with us, some have even overtaken us. I was speechless when I traveled to Jigawa State and saw the kind of development that has taken place there. These are the things that made us to come together to sensitise people on the way we can change governance to what we want. “For the point of emphasis, we are saying that Kwara does not belong to Bukola Saraki, we are saying enough is enough. We are saying it is unacceptable for only one person to negotiate the future of three million people. It is an offence. It is criminal”, he said. With the latest oppositions in the multifacted war, it is pertinent to wait and see whether Saraki will also win this new war? The world is waiting. But in the meantime, the new Waziri Ngeri of Ilorin is back in the trenches, battle ready; an habitat seemingly becoming his political abode.

https://newtelegraphonline.com/2018/08/saraki-and-his-unending-political-battles/

And he has always emerged victorious. He is a cat with 9 lives.

“This is a whole bunch of bananas. Somewhere, buried within in it, is an apple,”
“Some people might try to tell you that there’s no point in looking for it. But there’s only one way to know what’s been covered up. You start digging.”


Sai Baba

there will be no rest for the wicked... No wise Nigerian youth will wish this wicked cunning man success in his endeavours to manipulate his way to being the president of this great country...

I seriously hate leaders that are corrupt.
But I hate the foolish youths that beat their chests for them.

I keep telling people; "we must never let PDP rule us again" some people think it's a fallacy.
But that's the truth, that PDP is devils party.

I learned that they lured the recent defectors to their party with "juicy carrots" what else could that mean if not promises like;1) they will never be prosecuted if the party ever wins
2) they can loot but loot wisely
3) immunity...
And the likes. That's why that party is a safe heavens for bastard criminals. A party that is repugnant to progress to the extent they feed their satanic desperation buy sponsoring killings across the nation.

to the honest and truthful we all know Buhari isn't perfect but he's better than all the meat & blood(people) of PDP. Vote Buhari in 2019 if you want all the corrupt vagabonds locked up and the keys thrown in the ocean.

Don't you see that criminals like Reno Omokri are afraid to come to their motherland.
Before 2020 Nigeria will boast of 22/7 power.
Things are getting better slowly, it can never be fast.

Ok

Sarkin:
I seriously hate leaders that are corrupt.
But I hate the foolish youths that beat their chests for them.

I keep telling people; "we must never let PDP rule us again" some people think it's a fallacy.
But that's the truth, that PDP is devils party.

I learned that they lured the recent defectors to their party with "juicy carrots" what else could that mean if not promises like;1) they will never be prosecuted if the party ever wins
2) they can loot but loot wisely
3) immunity...
And the likes. That's why that party is a safe heavens for bastard criminals. A party that is repugnant to progress to the extent they feed their satanic desperation buy sponsoring killings across the nation.

to the honest and truthful we all know Buhari isn't perfect but he's better than all the meat & blood(people) of PDP. Vote Buhari in 2019 if you want all the corrupt vagabonds locked up and the keys thrown in the ocean.

Don't you see that criminals like Reno Omokri are afraid to come to their motherland.
Before 2020 Nigeria will boast of 22/7 power.
Things are getting better slowly, it can never be fast.

Bro, you are back from your ban, am happy for you.

hope you took your girl on vacation to ibiza while on the holiday

silenze:


Bro, you are back from your ban, am happy for you.

hope you took your girl on vacation to ibiza while on the holiday

yeah, I took your girl BTW. I'm sure she told you that she was going for a program and won't be around for a while. Well, I was with her and she sweet gann

Sarkin:
yeah, I took your girl BTW. I'm sure she told you that she was going for a program and won't be around for a while. Well, I was with her and she sweet gann

wow! good for you.

but i can see you have learnt something, considering you are not threatening me with death this time.

again, i welcome you back

silenze:
wow! good for you.

but i can see you have learnt something, considering you are not threatening me with death this time.

again, i welcome you back

I never threatened anyone with death. You said something very sad and racist and I countered it...

Sarkin:
I never threatened anyone with death. You said something very sad and racist and I countered it...

okay, the mod hates you so much you got banned for doing nothing

silenze:


okay, the mod hates you so much you got banned for doing nothing

what else do you expect from ipob mods?

silenze:


okay, the mod hates you so much you got banned for doing nothing

Baddest guy....so much savage. Tiwa fall on you there

Let th game continue
but Buhari and osibanjo must leave that seat.