Date: 2014-09-17

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, Kwara- born Presidential Adviser Senator Suleiman Makanjuola Adebayo Ajadi has begun romancing the state chapter of All Progressives’ Congress (APC) to help Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed return, Pointblanknews.com can reveal.

President Goodluck Jonathan had in February appointed Ajadi Adviser on National Assembly matters, apparently to improve the fortunes of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, checks reveal that Ajadi may have been using his new office to boost the political fortunes of the rival APC in the senate and in his home state.

His appointment, it was gathered, has afforded the former senator the opportunity to mend fences with Senator Bukola Saraki, scion of the late strong man of Kwara politics, Senator Olusola Saraki aka Oloye.

Ajadi is from Babanloma, a sister town to Governor Abdulfatah’s hometown, Share, capital of Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state. Both politicians are Igbomina, one of the major sub-ethnic groups in the state.

Sources in the Senate told Pointblanknews.com that since Ajadi’s appointment, his relationship with Saraki has become rosier. Sarak is considered President Jonathan’s fiercest critics in the Senate.

Senator Saraki, it was gathered, has used successfully used top Igbomina leaders to blackmail Ajadi into supporting Governor Abdulfattah’s second term project.

“The political genius in Saraki pushed him into rallying Igbomina leaders into cautioning Ajadi on the danger of using his position to stop another Igbomina son (Governor Abdulfatah) from getting a second term,” a top Senate source offered.

According to another legislative source, to further soft-soap the Presidential Adviser, Saraki had drawn attention to Edo State where he claimed the then Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadome dumped party affiliation to back his kinsman Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

According to a Senate insider, “as things stand, PDP has been successfully castrated in Kwara State, with top Igbomina leaders breahing down Ajadi’s neck to support Abdulfatah.”

Continued the source, “ABS (Saraki) was able to cajole Ajadi into accepting to accepting to discreetly work for Abdulfattah.

“One of the strategies is to continue to stoke the crisis in Kwara PDP and so weaken the party so much that no strong candidate emerges there from to challenge the APC candidate,” another source added.

Senator Saraki’s father had in 1999 helped Ajadi secure a seat in the Senate on the platform of the then All Peoples’ Party (APP). However, no sooner had the senator assumed office than he parted ways with Oloye.

Ajadi had later bade farewell to Oloye’s political camp and APP, which had become All Nigeria’s People Party (ANPP), pitching his tent with PDP.

He was a member of the now defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), National Republican Convention (NRC). In the Fourth Republic, Ajadi moved from APP, ANPP before berthing in PDP.

The presidential adviser would not comment on the allegations. One of his associates however described the allegations as “baseless.”

He told Pointblanknews.com that his friend has been long enough in politics to understand the implications of anti-party activities.

He, however admitted that Ajadi had been in contact with Saraki, describing the move as “inevitable.”

He said ” Senator Ajadi is a Presidential Adviser in charge of 109 senators, of which Bukola Saraki is one. There therefore is no way he would ostracize any senator.”