By Timilehin Olorunleke
With less than ten weeks to the conduct of the 2015 general elections, a number of aspirants seeking elective offices on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State are poised for a showdown with the leadership of the party for allegedly scheming them out of the party's primary.
Impeccable sources revealed that the aspirants are aggrieved that the leader of the party in the State, Senator Bukola Saraki, sold a dummy to them when he told party faithfuls that there would be level playing ground for all aspirants and asked asked interested party members for any position in the forthcoming polls to join the race, having known his preferred people for various positions of contest.
This medium gathered that apart from the affected aspirants who had threatened to deal with their leader, a former Governor of the State, some of their supporters had started initiating moves to dump the APC for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
For instance, indication to this emerged shortly after the announcement by the party stakeholders that the State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Dr Abubakar Amuda-Kannike, had been endorsed as consensus candidate for Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency in the coming polls.
Two other aspirants seeking the APC's ticket for the post were former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Cook Olododo and a member of the State House of Assembly for Ilorin East Constituency, Hajia Nimota Ibrahim.
Saraki was alleged to have planted Nimota Ibrahim, who hails from the same Ibagun ward with Olododo in the race to undermine the latter's ambition.
Before the ratification of Amuda-Kannike as the standard-bearer for the election, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari and some eminent citizens of the ancient city had allegedly prevailed on Bukola Saraki to consider Olododo for the post, which he promised to implement, only for them to be told later that stakeholders agreed on the state Works Commissioner.
Some special emissaries that were also sent to prevail on Saraki not to shut the door against the candidacy of a one-time Chief of Staff to Government House were also surprised to be informed lately that the State APC leader was not interested in all their pleas.
Consequently, the endorsement of Amuda-Kannike for the House of Representatives' seat had drawn a battle line between supporters of Olododo and leadership of the APC as supporters of the former had threatened to move away from the party in droves.
The pro-Olododo's camp were said to have initiated the moves with the removal of all APC billboards bearing the portrait of Bukola Saraki at popular Kankatu Market junction, Okelele area of Ilorin East Local Government Area of the state in protest against the unexpected action of the acclaimed leader.
A medicine store owner opposite Kankatu Market, who pleaded to remain anonymous, told this reporter that supporters of Olododo are unhappy with the action of the APC leadership alienating their kinsman from the race.
He said the former Kwara SSG loyalists had concluded plans to move to another party where their interest would be protected.
Our Correspondent who was at Kankatu junction last Thursday where a billboard hitherto bearing Olododo and Saraki were erected, observed that the board had been removed and replaced with an aspirant of the PDP for Kwara Central Senatorial District, Bilikisu Gambari.
Inscribed in Gambari's billboard is "Igba Otun Dee! Bilikisu Gambari for Senate Kwara Central 2015".
Another respondent who also sought not to be named, told this medium that people were utterly disappointed with the leadership style of Saraki and would resist any imposition of candidate on them.
However, this medium recalls that prior to 2011 polls, Olododo who was flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the seat of Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency, abruptly had his fate substituted with Dr Ali Ahmad, who was then the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
Though, reasons were not given for the development then, it was gathered that Saraki's "hatred" for Olododo made him to take the decision.
Appeals were made to Olododo to patiently await the 2015 elections when it would be his turn with a promise to offer him automatic ticket.
The structure of the state PDP then had since defected to the APC following irreconcilable differences in the PDP at the National level.
Besides Olododo's case, some aspirants from Asa/Ilorin West Federal Constituency were also displeased with the manner in which Bukola Saraki pushed them to join the race but with an ulterior motive to make the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Barrister Razak Atunwa, his anointed candidate.
The current occupant of the seat, Hon Moshood Mustapha and the Chairman, State Scholarship Board, Hon Isiaka Mogaji, were among people that showed interest for the plum job.
As leader of the APC in the State, Saraki instituted a special committee across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State, with the sole task of looking for most qualified aspirants among the crop of people that had indicated interests to vie for various elective positions.
However, it was gathered that Saraki had specifically told members of the committee not to make any formal pronouncement about their findings as he allegedly insisted that the reports be submitted to him for onward selection of the successful aspirants.
This medium also recalls that traditional rulers in Kwara South had endorsed the candidacy of former member of House of Representatives, Mr Peter Gbenga Makanjuola, as their preferred candidate for Kwara South Senatorial District and vowed to resist any attempt to hoodwink them to throw their weight behind any other person.
The seat is being currently occupied at the Senate by Senator Simeon Ajibola of the PDP. He refused to defect to the APC when Saraki and his supporters joined the party after series of botched reconciliations by the PDP leadership.
Stakeholders of the APC in Kwara South had however, anointed a member of the House of Representatives for Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun, Dr Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, as the senatorial flag-bearer of the party.
It was learnt that the decision to make Ibrahim the sole candidate of the party for the election didn't go down well with supporters of Gbenga Makanjuola, who are also threatening protest votes during the general elections.
In Ekiti, members of the APC are unhappy that Saraki imposed Princess Funke Adedoyin on them as the party flag-bearer for the seat of Irepodun/Isin/Ekiti/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency against their preferred man for the job, Otunba Taiwo Joseph, admirably referred to as OTJ.
It was gathered that sympathizers of OTJ felt cheated that it supposed to be their own turn after Mr Basheer Oni, Gbenga Makanjuola and the incumbent seat occupier, Barrister Akeem Ayedun, believed to be from Igbomina side, had gotten fair share of representation since the return to democracy in 1999.
Our Correspondent was told that no politician from Ekiti speaking axis, which comprises Oke-Ero and Ekiti Local Government Areas, had been ableto occupy the seat while the wide belief was that the coming of OTJ to the political scene would heal the protracted wound.
With less than ten weeks to the conduct of the 2015 general elections, a number of aspirants seeking elective offices on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State are poised for a showdown with the leadership of the party for allegedly scheming them out of the party's primary.Impeccable sources revealed that the aspirants are aggrieved that the leader of the party in the State, Senator Bukola Saraki, sold a dummy to them when he told party faithfuls that there would be level playing ground for all aspirants and asked asked interested party members for any position in the forthcoming polls to join the race, having known his preferred people for various positions of contest.
This medium gathered that apart from the affected aspirants who had threatened to deal with their leader, a former Governor of the State, some of their supporters had started initiating moves to dump the APC for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
For instance, indication to this emerged shortly after the announcement by the party stakeholders that the State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Dr Abubakar Amuda-Kannike, had been endorsed as consensus candidate for Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency in the coming polls.
Two other aspirants seeking the APC's ticket for the post were former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Cook Olododo and a member of the State House of Assembly for Ilorin East Constituency, Hajia Nimota Ibrahim.
Saraki was alleged to have planted Nimota Ibrahim, who hails from the same Ibagun ward with Olododo in the race to undermine the latter's ambition.
Before the ratification of Amuda-Kannike as the standard-bearer for the election, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari and some eminent citizens of the ancient city had allegedly prevailed on Bukola Saraki to consider Olododo for the post, which he promised to implement, only for them to be told later that stakeholders agreed on the state Works Commissioner.
Some special emissaries that were also sent to prevail on Saraki not to shut the door against the candidacy of a one-time Chief of Staff to Government House were also surprised to be informed lately that the State APC leader was not interested in all their pleas.
Consequently, the endorsement of Amuda-Kannike for the House of Representatives' seat had drawn a battle line between supporters of Olododo and leadership of the APC as supporters of the former had threatened to move away from the party in droves.
The pro-Olododo's camp were said to have initiated the moves with the removal of all APC billboards bearing the portrait of Bukola Saraki at popular Kankatu Market junction, Okelele area of Ilorin East Local Government Area of the state in protest against the unexpected action of the acclaimed leader.
A medicine store owner opposite Kankatu Market, who pleaded to remain anonymous, told this reporter that supporters of Olododo are unhappy with the action of the APC leadership alienating their kinsman from the race.
He said the former Kwara SSG loyalists had concluded plans to move to another party where their interest would be protected.
Our Correspondent who was at Kankatu junction last Thursday where a billboard hitherto bearing Olododo and Saraki were erected, observed that the board had been removed and replaced with an aspirant of the PDP for Kwara Central Senatorial District, Bilikisu Gambari.
Inscribed in Gambari's billboard is "Igba Otun Dee! Bilikisu Gambari for Senate Kwara Central 2015".
Another respondent who also sought not to be named, told this medium that people were utterly disappointed with the leadership style of Saraki and would resist any imposition of candidate on them.
However, this medium recalls that prior to 2011 polls, Olododo who was flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the seat of Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency, abruptly had his fate substituted with Dr Ali Ahmad, who was then the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
Though, reasons were not given for the development then, it was gathered that Saraki's "hatred" for Olododo made him to take the decision.
Appeals were made to Olododo to patiently await the 2015 elections when it would be his turn with a promise to offer him automatic ticket.
The structure of the state PDP then had since defected to the APC following irreconcilable differences in the PDP at the National level.
Besides Olododo's case, some aspirants from Asa/Ilorin West Federal Constituency were also displeased with the manner in which Bukola Saraki pushed them to join the race but with an ulterior motive to make the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Barrister Razak Atunwa, his anointed candidate.
The current occupant of the seat, Hon Moshood Mustapha and the Chairman, State Scholarship Board, Hon Isiaka Mogaji, were among people that showed interest for the plum job.
As leader of the APC in the State, Saraki instituted a special committee across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State, with the sole task of looking for most qualified aspirants among the crop of people that had indicated interests to vie for various elective positions.
However, it was gathered that Saraki had specifically told members of the committee not to make any formal pronouncement about their findings as he allegedly insisted that the reports be submitted to him for onward selection of the successful aspirants.
This medium also recalls that traditional rulers in Kwara South had endorsed the candidacy of former member of House of Representatives, Mr Peter Gbenga Makanjuola, as their preferred candidate for Kwara South Senatorial District and vowed to resist any attempt to hoodwink them to throw their weight behind any other person.
The seat is being currently occupied at the Senate by Senator Simeon Ajibola of the PDP. He refused to defect to the APC when Saraki and his supporters joined the party after series of botched reconciliations by the PDP leadership.
Stakeholders of the APC in Kwara South had however, anointed a member of the House of Representatives for Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun, Dr Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, as the senatorial flag-bearer of the party.
It was learnt that the decision to make Ibrahim the sole candidate of the party for the election didn't go down well with supporters of Gbenga Makanjuola, who are also threatening protest votes during the general elections.
In Ekiti, members of the APC are unhappy that Saraki imposed Princess Funke Adedoyin on them as the party flag-bearer for the seat of Irepodun/Isin/Ekiti/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency against their preferred man for the job, Otunba Taiwo Joseph, admirably referred to as OTJ.
It was gathered that sympathizers of OTJ felt cheated that it supposed to be their own turn after Mr Basheer Oni, Gbenga Makanjuola and the incumbent seat occupier, Barrister Akeem Ayedun, believed to be from Igbomina side, had gotten fair share of representation since the return to democracy in 1999.
Our Correspondent was told that no politician from Ekiti speaking axis, which comprises Oke-Ero and Ekiti Local Government Areas, had been ableto occupy the seat while the wide belief was that the coming of OTJ to the political scene would heal the protracted wound.
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