I have been challenged so many times on this forum and in other places why we Kwarans have been so 'sheepish'. I put this up as a formal statement of my opinion on the whole Kwara politics. This is strictly my personal opinion. Most of my opinions on issues are mid-way, so don't be disappointed if I fall short of expectation. I'm not a radical.

http://www.dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4641:action-not-words-will-loosen-sarakis-grip-on-kwara-politics&catid=7:opinion&Itemid=12

[b]Since news filtered into the Nigeria’s political space that the undisputable czar of Kwara politics, Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki, has endorsed his daughter, Rukayyat Gbemisola, a serving Senator, to take over from his son, Abubakar Bukola, himself vying for presidency, as the governor of Kwara state come 2011, analysts and commentators have been having a field day discussing the topic.

Columnists have commented, even if in passing, on the development. And I expect virtually all Nigerian columnists and public affairs commentators to lend their voice to the issue in the coming days or weeks.

As a Kwaran, I have suffered the ignominy of being called all sorts of unprintable names. In discussions on other topics, especially as they pertain to national politics, I have been asked to shut up my mouth and go fix my ‘house’ first, as if my vote is enough to dislodge Saraki’s hold of Kwara that pre-dated my birth. Such is the level people descend to in discussing Kwara politics.

With Saraki’s oracular pronouncement of his daughter as the next occupant of the Ahmadu Bello government house in Ilorin, opposition has been kicking. This time around, the opposition is coming from four directions. First, other parties. Secondly, opposition within PDP, backed by Saraki’s governor-son himself. Thirdly, the many anti-Saraki political groups under various nomenclatures. Four, the council of ulamma who believe that it is against Islamic injunction to have a female as the number one citizen of a state that has Muslims as the majority.


Various permutations and strategies are being evolved to put end to the man called Olooye’s grip of Kwara politics, specifically to prevent his latest attempt to install his daughter as the next governor of Kwara state, failure to achieve which will be seen as the end of his legendary reign as the kingmaker of the state’s politics.

With all sense of solidarity to the opposing groups, I frankly do not see Saraki not repeating his 1979, 1983, 1999 and 2003 feats in 2011. Defeating Saraki goes beyond those lunch-time analyses in our various offices and those beautifully analysed strategies in newspaper stands. Not even the various meetings by the almost countless number of anti-Saraki groups in the state appear to have the weight to upturn Saraki’s wish. The greatest challenge Saraki may face is not even from the politicians, but from the Islamic clerics in the state. This is so because many of the politicians claiming to oppose Saraki are political featherweights. Muhammed Lawal, a retired admiral of the Nigerian Navy, with money and incumbency factors on his side, was far stronger than the whole opposition today put together, but the Idi-Ape man was not successful.

Religious leaders have some following in the state and some of them have been used as Saraki’s tools in the past, but with their house also divided already, we may have to wait till another time – and I hope it’s not going to be after the inevitable catches with him – before he can be unseated. Some of the clerics, after all, are issuing their own fatwa that there is nothing wrong, in Islam, in having a female leader.


We can continue to talk and write all the way from Lagos, but the reality remains, until the generation of those old, poor and highly vulnerable Kwarans, mostly women, at home leave the scene, defeating Saraki may continue to be a mirage. A few questions: To those of us in Lagos, when last did we go home? To those at home, how open are our doors to the poor masses? How many of us have voter’s cards? How many of us can queue in the sun, like the Saraki women, for hours because of elections? How many of us do they know in our communities, or without asking for too much, in our wards? How respected are we among our folks?

This is by no means an endorsement (oh, that contentious word again) of Saraki’s amala and N50 brand of poverty alleviation, which has turned into electoral magic wand for him in the last thirty years at least, but a reminder to our people that winning people’s hearts should be practical, rather than some rhetorical lamentations that don’t get to the Iya Kabirus of Ile-l’oke, who, unfortunately are the people that constitute the majority of the voters.

With such corrupting absolute power, one can easily situate Saraki’s unabashed hand-picking of his daughter, a Senator with no outstanding records in the Senate, as the best person to rule the state in the next four years.

Surely, Saraki’s current attempt, like one of the columnists puts it, will not come as a common gift from a loving father to a dear daughter, but if opposition as it is on ground in Kwara today is what is relied on to forestall a Gbemisola governorship, then I’m afraid we may be in for the same old story of ‘nearly happened’.

Olusola Saraki has built a deeply rooted, cult-like followership over years. Disentangling the state from his stranglehold will also take years of conscious, calculated political strategy, with reorientation of the poor masses as a basic ingredient. Convincing the present, though ageing generation of Saraki followers, may be an utopian dream, but working on the psyche of the new generation Kwarans, is at least thinkable. Lawal may have failed in 2003, he was already building the kind of structure that would have been useful in the future to demystify the Saraki myth, but with the structure appearing to have died with him, I have yet to see another giant in Kwara that can lead the ‘revolution’.

Extricating Kwara from Saraki’s clutches, if possible at all, surely goes beyond all these talks and empty rhetoric from opposition and even non-partisan concerned Kwarans. This is no defeatism, but a blunt statement fact. And I will like to be proved wrong.[/b]

Disentangling the state from his stranglehold will also take years of conscious, calculated political strategy, with reorientation of the poor masses as a basic ingredient.

precisely. just as the man did not become a colossus overnight, he cannot be unseated overnight.

this is why Winston Churchill was ambivalent about democracy - he said the best argument against democracy is a talk with the average voter.

most of those people dissing us have it far worse, saraki asa politicain of the old school, and an educated one, is benign when compared to the likes of adedibu/kalu and the village idiots they foisted on their states

Nice one. Very good analysis. keep it up

do you guys actually get dissed about stuff like that?


i respect saraki for the hold he has, that kind of influence is possible only because some people feel too stuck up to associate with the lower class. . .saraki probably isn't the richest kwaran, but he has touched lives and how many politicians in nigeria(not just kwara) can lay claim to that?

of which does anyone have an idea how much violence is usually involved in the elections over there?

netotse:

do you guys actually get dissed about stuff like that?


i respect saraki for the hold he has, that kind of influence is possible only because some people feel too stuck up to associate with the lower class. . .saraki probably isn't the richest kwaran, but he has touched lives and how many politicians in nigeria(not just kwara) can lay claim to that?

of which does anyone have an idea how much violence is usually involved in the elections over there?

the usual suspects have called me a saraki slave na

This is very brilliant Jarus.

I have always maintained that if the Sarakis win elections through the ballot box. No problem.

I cannot agree less with you Jarus. It is the truth. Let all Kwarans deal with it.

As a Kwaran, I have suffered the ignominy of being called all sorts of unprintable names. In discussions on other topics, especially as they pertain to national politics, I have been asked to shut up my mouth and go fix my ‘house’ first, as if my vote is enough to dislodge Saraki’s hold of Kwara that pre-dated my birth. Such is the level people descend to in discussing Kwara politics.

you take things too personally.

are you new to nigeria and nl and dont you know people address each other like that all the time regardless which state anybody is from.

Kwarans have rolled over and died, they have given up their freedom. Kwara is owned by the Saraki's and its indegenes feel too powerless to put up a fight.

It is quite strange when Kwara people critisice the politics of free people outside Kwara; indeed, the single burning desire within every Kwaran should be how to free themselves and their loved ones from the yoke of the Saraki's. After they have rid themselves off the Saraki's, their voices will become acceptable without question nationally.

How can a state be owned by a family in this day and age for goodness sake?

Beaf, the fact is Olooye Saraki paid his due in other to have such stronghold on Kwarans. Am told the man's house is like mecca to many of the masses in Kwara and Olooye is never tired of giving N50 amala to the hungry

even though I know what Kwarans need is not fish but how to fish, but they will rather follow the man that gives them N50 Amala than wait for the unseen man in Lagos who is not on the ground but only sending promises.

Until other stakeholders in Kwara politics are ready to pay their due as analysed by Jarus, Kwara will remain in the hand of Olooye Saraki.

OAM4J:

Beaf, the fact is Olooye Saraki paid his due in other to have such stronghold on Kwarans. Am told the man's house is like mecca to many of the masses in Kwara and Olooye is never tired of giving N50 amala to the hungry

even though I know what Kwarans need is not fish but how to fish, but they will rather follow the man that gives them N50 Amala than wait for the unseen man in Lagos who is not on the ground but only sending promises.

Until other stakeholders in Kwara politics are ready to pay their due as analysed by Jarus, Kwara will remain in the hand of Olooye Saraki.

Yes indeed, Saraki's house is like a Mecca. He prefers to dole out little 50 Naira gifts to the foolish, so the corrupt family can obtain the billions that belong to the people. It is a very cynical ploy that Kwarans must free themselves from as a primary duty.

It really is a form of slavery. A truly deplorable state of affairs; strangely, the average Kwaran has accepted it and feels the need to contribute to national political discuss from that blinkered and hampered position. If a man is in jail, with no experience of freedom really has no right to preach to the free how to use their freedom.

As for the stakeholders who need to pay their dues, every Kwaran woman, man and child is a stakeholder.

Beaf:

Kwarans have rolled over and died, they have given up their freedom. Kwara is owned by the Saraki's and its indegenes feel too powerless to put up a fight.

It is quite strange when Kwara people critisice the politics of free people outside Kwara; indeed, the single burning desire within every Kwaran should be how to free themselves and their loved ones from the yoke of the Saraki's. After they have rid themselves off the Saraki's, their voices will become acceptable without question nationally.

How can a state be owned by a family in this day and age for goodness sake?

are you refrring to the politics of bombing and assasinations your area is known for?

or operation totality and overturned elections

what a pompous double talking hypocrite

it is called free and fair elections -

typical idiocy from our resident retard

Beaf:

Yes indeed, Saraki's house is like a Mecca. He prefers to dole out little 50 Naira gifts to the foolish, so the corrupt family can obtain the billions that belong to the people. It is a very cynical ploy that Kwarans must free themselves from as a primary duty.

It really is a form of slavery. A truly deplorable state of affairs; strangely, the average Kwaran has accepted it and feels the need to contribute to national political discuss from that blinkered and hampered position. If a man is in jail, with no experience of freedom really has no right to preach to the free how to use their freedom.

As for the stakeholders who need to pay their dues, every Kwaran woman, man and child is a stakeholder.

Sorry guy but in a way slavery is everywhere. They still have kingdom in England which is still by birthright. Get it.

I think it is even better if we have ruling houses in this country. It gives the rulers a sense of patriotism. He knows it is his kingdom and will do everything to make it work. The situation whereby people get into office and steal only for them to save the money abroad is because they lack a sense of ownership. Even if an Adenuga has billions of naira, as long as the money is in Nigeria's economy, its still to the benefit of everybody.

Beaf:

Kwarans have rolled over and died, they have given up their freedom. Kwara is owned by the Saraki's and its indegenes feel too powerless to put up a fight.

It is quite strange when Kwara people critisice the politics of free people outside Kwara; indeed, the single burning desire within every Kwaran should be how to free themselves and their loved ones from the yoke of the Saraki's. After they have rid themselves off the Saraki's, their voices will become acceptable without question nationally.

How can a state be owned by a family in this day and age for goodness sake?

Honestly, I don't like to defend the Sarakis, but a few questions:

- has he been winning the elections by rigging or violence?
- are Americans sheeps too, when they had a father as president, later son, and another son as governor?
- Oyo state is believed to be more sophisticated and populated with Profs and what have you, but a common, barely literate thug determined who got what in the state, how do we explain their case?
- and what state are you from?

Jarus:

Honestly, I don't like to defend the Sarakis, but a few questions:

- has he been winning the elections by rigging or violence?
- are Americans sheeps too, when they had a father as president, later son, and another son as governor?
- Oyo state is believed to be more sophisticated and populated with Profs and what have you, but a common, barely literate thug determined who got what in the state, how do we explain their case?
- and what state are you from?

you can also ask the double talking illiterate about the ghandis, the bhuttos and the kennedys

father joe ambassador 1st son jfk prsident , 2nd son robert assasinated while in the running(and he ws ag when jfk was president) , 3rd son ted a sure bet until Chappaquiddick

but then joining issues with people whose iq is in single digits is a waste of enegy.

and we cant forget those poles wetin them call them sef

^
My attention gets held by more intelligent people than yourself. Fly away.

Jarus:

Honestly, I don't like to defend the Sarakis, but a few questions:

- has he been winning the elections by rigging or violence?
- are Americans sheeps too, when they had a father as president, later son, and another son as governor?
- Oyo state is believed to be more sophisticated and populated with Profs and what have you, but a common, barely literate thug determined who got what in the state, how do we explain their case?
- and what state are you from?

Why worry about my state? This is strictly about Kwarans needing to free themselves of the Saraki Yoke to be able to comment freely on national politics.
If a family has serious internal problems, would other families be willing to take advice from them? There is a serious task at hand for all Kwarans.

As for Americans, I never ever heard that the Bush's had people queueing up for measely handouts while running down banks and propagating other visible corruption that deprived Americans off billions of Dollars.
As for Oyo state, the people have the choice of ridding themselves off Akala, it isn't a family dynasty running the state.

Beaf:

^
My attention gets held by more intelligent people than yourself. Fly away.

Why worry about my state? This is strictly about Kwarans needing to free themselves of the Saraki Yoke to be able to comment freely on national politics.
If a family has serious internal problems, would other families be willing to take advice from them? There is a serious task at hand for all Kwarans.

As for Americans, I never ever heard that the Bush's had people queueing up for measely handouts while running down banks and propagating other visible corruption that deprived Americans off billions of Dollars.
As for Oyo state, the people have the choice of ridding themselves off Akala, it isn't a family dynasty running the state.

dude please tell us you state and tribe - or are you ashamed of your origins?

oyb:

dude please tell us you state and tribe - or are you ashamed of your origins?

Are you waving Saraki's flag?
One thing you can be sure of is that Saraki dynasty doesn't supply governors to my state. God forbid.

Beaf:

Are you waving Saraki's flag?
One thing you can be sure of is that Saraki dynasty doesn't supply governors to my state. God forbid.

so tell us your state na

abi u dey fear

we already have enough to diss you over - your stupidity, your infatuation with a failed president, being from a state with a junkie governor can't make much difference

@beaf
are the kwarans complaining? or are you mistaking the kwarans for the people whose sole grudge is that the oloye(however it's spelt) is not exercising his 'power' on their behalf?


whichever state you're from, your local strongman hasn't done a fraction of what saraki has done for these people, that's why he doesn't need touts to force them to vote for him. If we look at things critically sef, what has GEJ done for the masses out of his pocket that we know about?


If you're going to complain about saraki, let it be something tangible and sensible not your usual knee-jerk reactions. . .the man has built a solid political machine, people need to stop player-hating, come sef, what exactly do you have a problem with? saraki himself or his support of gbemi?

that said, i wonder what he's high on. . .choosing your daughter to succeed your son. . .smh, the nerve of it. If there were more politicians like him nigeria would be better.

@oyb
GEJ is not a failed president. . .the ink wey them take write im name as president never even dry. . .

^
Please read my posts clearly before commenting. You have actually not countered a single thing I said, all you have done is put your own thoughts and assumptions across while pretending to be replying me.
What, in your opinion has Saraki done for the masses? I would really love to hear it.

oyb:

so tell us your state na

abi u dey fear

we already have enough to diss you over - your stupidity, your infatuation with a failed president, being from a state with a junkie governor can't make much difference

I wonder why you are fighting so hard for Saraki?
I get it though. You actually think Saraki is the best for you, just like the dimwits that line up for 50 naira gifts at his gates while he steals you guys blind.
You have no right to comment on national issues until you free yourself from slavery.

@beaf
when it comes to oyb you lose focus, that much is clear. . .i cant for the life of me remember where oyb supported the saraki's as far as i know he's rooting for ribadu(who's still not going anywhere. . . ) and i even to remember him starting a thread criticizing gbemisola saraki during her assassination saga.

If you say his hatred/dislike is extreme, i'd agree with you wholeheartedly but on this saraki thing, you are yet to prove it!

the two of una's issues pass my power o. . .sometimes i suspect you guys oppose each other just for the thrill of it.

infact one opinion can not be justfiable! as a matter of fact this so called daughter of saraki's has nothing to stand up has her last mark achivement ever snce her assumption into federal legislative chamber, infact she did not impact in any sense and let call a spade a spade woman cant be the best leader among the set of intelligent man! this is noooooooooooooooo!

@OYB & BEAF,
IT IS SOOOO IRRITATING THAT THE TWO OF YOU ALWAYS ACT ANTAGONISTIC FOR THE SOLE SAKE OF ANTAGONISM AGAINST EACH OTHER, REGARDLESS OF THE ISSUE AT HAND.SOOOO IRRITATING.

@topic,
I did my tertiary schooling in kwara and am one of those that believe that it will take more than a ''fatwa'' to grapple power away from baba olooye.
and its not about the level of education as well as kwara state has more grads and profs than most northern states and yet no northern state is controlled solely by a single man.
but just as my elder brother once told me, given a ''free and fair'' election in the real sense of the word.
the Saraki Monarchy Governorship line would be obliterated like a nuclear explosion.

Jarus:

Honestly, I don't like to defend the Sarakis, but a few questions:

- has he been winning the elections by rigging or violence?
- are Americans sheeps too, when they had a father as president, later son, and another son as governor?
- Oyo state is believed to be more sophisticated and populated with Profs and what have you, but a common, barely literate thug determined who got what in the state, how do we explain their case?
- and what state are you from?

Then don,t defend them at all!!!! what ur article has succeeded in doing is only to discourage those who are striving by one way or the other to break this 50 naira amala yoke saraki has on the masses, in kwara state.
The idea you are passing across is that since it is almost impossible to remove saraki, why not let him continue after all i am only one person, one single vote, how more defeatist can one get?
SO as not to seem as if, you are not doing any thing about it, you decided to give us this article, fact is your mind was already made up with the condition in kwara, and to a reasonable extent u support it.
but because you are encountering embarrassment from different quarters as regards this issue you want to quickly exonerate yourself.
Giving excuses such as  ibadan is ruled by illiterates, and this issue as been there before you were born, is simply pathetic and is only weakening the resolve of others who are actually doing something about it.
Common man! when u take a pen to write to the public you shouldn't be a whiner, the pen is as good as a sword, a machine gun!!! pls wake up and quit all this tongue in cheek talks
as for your other  blind followers they don,t deserve a reply.

usbcable:

@OYB & BEAF,
IT IS SOOOO IRRITATING THAT THE TWO OF YOU ALWAYS ACT ANTAGONISTIC FOR THE SOLE SAKE OF ANTAGONISM AGAINST EACH OTHER, REGARDLESS OF THE ISSUE AT HAND.SOOOO IRRITATING.
. . .

Dude, I find it as irritating as you. I try my best to avoid oyb, but he is an obsessed stalker, I am surprised that such a character is a moderator.

oyb:

so tell us your state na

abi u dey fear

we already have enough to diss you over - your stupidity, your infatuation with a failed president, being from a  state with a junkie governor can't make much difference

Beaf has mentioned his tribe and state many times on this forum. He is a proud Isoko man from Delta. I guess many think he is an Ijaw man from Bayelsa.

usbcable:

but just as my elder brother once told me, given a ''free and fair'' election in the real sense of the word.
the Saraki Monarchy Governorship line would be obliterated like a nuclear explosion.

I strongly doubt that. I spent the first 18 years of my life in Kwara and still follow the state politics, but what many people don't know is that Saraki is in full control of Kwara Central, which alone constitutes 55% of the voting populace. He has great followership in Kwara North too. It is only those of us in Kwara South that constitute the opposition and our population is very insignificant. They can win election without us.

Furthermore, like I mentioned in that article, majority of the people that actually vote are these poor women, who are ready to queue for hours to vote for Olooye's candidate. Those of us that claim to be intellectual, elite, educated etc, are in the minority and we have a long way to go upturn the system.

So I honestly don't think Saraki will lose, even if the election was free an fair.

OAM4J:

Beaf has mentioned his tribe and state many times on this forum. He is a proud Isoko man from Delta. I guess many think he is an Ijaw man from Bayelsa.

beaf swings with all winds.

he claims to be a mixture of isoko and urhobo while also carrying baton for bayelsa.

confused, imo.

or just plain cuckoo.

Jarus:

I strongly doubt that. I spent the first 18 years of my life in Kwara and still follow the state politics, but what many people don't know is that Saraki is in full control of Kwara Central, which alone constitutes 55% of the voting populace. He has great followership in Kwara North too. It is only those of us in Kwara South that constitute the opposition and our population is very insignificant. They can win election without us.

Furthermore, like I mentioned in that article, majority of the people that actually vote are these poor women, who are ready to queue for hours to vote for Olooye's candidate. Those of us that claim to be intellectual, elite, educated etc, are in the minority and we have a long way to go upturn the system.

So I honestly don't think Saraki will lose, even if the election was free an fair.

Jarus you have spoken "oracularly . Dont mind all these guys making noise from lagos and yankee who are not considering glaring realities on ground. In a free and fair election Saraki will win clean. I mean clean.  Women worship the man like a god. Yes i sense someone will ask if this is because of his 50 naira amala arrangement? Then i will say yes. There are a lot of commoners in other states that are worse off, who  have not had the benefit of even 20 naira, either in kind , cash or any form of govt presence. I dont like saraki, but the guy has it politically.

Saraki's house is like a "crusade  ground", even during off periods in politics. Dem no tell me and i no read am for book .I see am with my korokoro eyes.

Now talking about Gbemi's candidacy, saraki has the wherewithal to harness 80% of women in kwara to support the move and with that, he needs only a fraction of votes from the sharia-protecting men.

Another angle people need to consider, is that since every northern presidential candidate needs the votes from kwara, they will not risk criticising  Olusola saraki on his stance as that could backfire.

Dear Jarus,
Nice one. . . tho' Im not sure why you sent me the PM last time,in view of this daily trust link

To the topic at hand ,I think you have hit the nail on the head. The fact remains that in politics you have the educated ,upwardly mobile,internet savvy citizens(who usuall have a lot to lose & cannot stake their lives) as well as the not so educated (possibly very religious & loyal) masses,who can stake all for their benefactors/beliefs.

Whichever of these groups has the greater numbers should normally carry the day . And the situation in Kwara is quite clear.

Although a part of me would be happy to have a woman elected directly for governor in Nigeria for the first time,no matter the garbage it comes with,its still a achievemnet for our women in Nigeria.

i realized another thing which the loyalty can also be tied to.

unlike most politicians, it is not only during election season that saraki doles out the 50.

one can rally people or counter n50 him if he does that, splitting the electorate

but when he already has a record of doing that even when he does not need their support -