Barely two months to the general election, indications has emerged that the opposition camp in Kwara State may be playing the game(s) of the Senate President with the recent uproar of a factional Peoples Democratic Party in the State.
Before now, the National recognised All Progressive Congress in the state have been battling the Ishola Balogun-Fulani executives of the party who claimed to be the legally recognised party members having been sworn in to a 4-years term in office. Balogun-Fulani who didn’t defect to PDP alongside his principal, the senate president, has since been engaging the Bolarinwa led APC in a legal battle.
Though the National Working Committee NWC of the All Progressives Congress APC has, at 30th of September, expelled him alongside his co-executive in Kwara state from the Party on account of anti-party activities, the Balogun Fulani led executives kicked against the dissolution of party executive council at the ward, local government and state levels by the Adams Oshiomole – led National Working Committee (NWC), describing the declaration as unlawful, null and void.
In a statement issued by Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the then Publicity Secretary of the Kwara APC, he said that there was no ground for the dissolution, insisting that the NWC erred.
“We confirm that there is no case of lacuna in the party leadership in Kwara State and there was no ground for the purported dissolution. Thus, the NWC erred in law. Furthermore, the purported dissolution is null and void.”
“We recall that for many weeks, party members worked assiduously and painstakingly to elect party leadership at the ward, local government and state levels in Kwara State.”
“The party structure was certified as duly elected by the National Working Committee of APC. The duly elected party structure in Kwara State cannot be overthrown or dissolved by an unlawful declaration from Abuja.”
“Considering the role played by Comrade Adams Oshiomole, he has lost the respect of the leadership and members of APC in the 16 local government areas and 193 wards of Kwara State.”
“He has destroyed his human rights credentials. It is crystal clear the emerging dictator is always willing to trample on the rights of other party members whenever his personal interest is involved.”
“While the party will exercise legal means to protect the constitutional mandates of the party leadership at the ward, local government and state levels, we wish to reaffirm that the Alhaji Ishola Balogun Fulani – led State Executive Committee (SEC) remains the only authentic and lawful leadership of APC in Kwara State.”
“Despite the distraction from Abuja, the Alhaji Ishola Balogun Fulani – led State Executive Committee (SEC), the party leadership in the 16 local government and 193 wards of Kwara State shall continue to discharge constitutional functions,” he said.
Even though the Publicity Secretary eventually left the APC to pick up the Organising Secretary of the PDP, Balogun Fulani never relent in giving the Bolarinwa led executives tough time has he led a factional APC to primary election that saw one Omotoshe emerged as the gubernatorial flagbearer.
However, political analysts are of the view that Balogun-Fulani may be dancing to the tune of the Senate president Bukola Saraki in most of his actions. It is opined that Saraki is on top of his game by trying to distract the APC against the general election through the Balogun-Fulani antics.
This, unarguably at first, caused a lot of tensions in the APC before INEC annouced that party’s flagbearer candidature will be submitted by the party national chairman, this was a big hit on the Balogun fulani led executives, who has lost national recognisation. They eventually made the court their last hope for survival.
Nothwithstanding, the threat posed by both ths old and new chieftains of the APC in Kwara State to his strong hold on the politics therein, it appeared to many observers of the politics of the state that the Senate President is forging ahead with determination and his eyes on winning the next general election to prove his mastery of the people and politics of the north-central.
However, few months to the general election, two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State are currently in court, seeking to be handed the gubernatorial and senatorial tickets of the party in the state and Kwara central senatorial district respectively. In addition, they want the court to declare the Kola Shittu-led state executive committee illegal.
Ramat Bola Malik and Rukayat Aromoke Sheu, approached a Federal High Court, Abuja seeking the invalidation of the processes that produced Senator Saraki, Hon. Rasaq Atunwa and others as candidates of the ruling party in Kwara State. The duo are claiming that the manner in which the candidates were nominated run against the constitution of the PDP in many ramifications.
Listed as defendants in the application are the PDP, INEC, Saraki and Atunwa. They accused the national PDP of breaching the provisions of its constitution by allowing the Engineer Kola Shittu-led state executive to participate in the September 26, 2018 primary elections in Kwara State as they were not validly nominated to lead the state chapter of the party.
Subsequently, they are seeking a declaration that having been nominated as candidates in a process where the disputed Shittu-led executive committee had participated as delegates, Saraki and Atunwa, as well as all other nominees from the said primary elections, have not been validly elected as candidates of the PDP in Kwara State for the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
In addition, they also seek declarations that the plaintiffs, having been validly elected at the Kwara State primary elections of the PDP held on the 26th day of September, 2018, in which the Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo-led executive had participated as delegates, ought to be declared as the authentic candidates of the PDP in the state for the governorship and senatorial elections respectively.
Being the antics Saraki is believed to be playing with the actions of Balogun Fulani, the political atmosphere bin the state is becoming more complicated and tense.
Consequently, the question on the lips of many political gladiator in the state is, Is APC playing Saraki’s game?