Kwara 2015: 10 for governor in PDP

Date: 2014-08-07

Ten Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains are jostling for the governorship ticket in Kwara State.

The aspirants include Mr. Sunday Adebayo Babalola, an engineer, Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters Senator Makanjuola Ajadi, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, Senator Simeon Ajibola, and Deacon John Dara. Others are Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq, Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), and Alhaji Bio Ibrahim.

It is a challenging moment for the troubled chapter. Since its former leader, Senator Bukola Saraki, and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC), things have not been the same. Apart from the decimation of the party, the struggle for its governorship ticket has unleashed intra-party tension. The PDP national leadership is worried by the bitter struggle. Aspirants are working at cross purposes to outshine one another and the promotion of self-interest has displaced the defence of collective interest.

To triumph over the APC, at the poll there is the urgent need for the Kwara PDP to put its house in order. But, while a section of the party is leaving no stone unturned, in its bid to re-capture the State of Harmony, the obvious division in the fold is counter-productive. Instead of building the party structure, ahead of the election," aspirants are nurturing personal strictures.

The ruling APC is laying landmines. Unlike the PDP, it is a united fold, with old and new members forging ahead. The next election is expected to be laced with intrigues because the principal actors in the two parties had at different times worked closely with one another. Many of them had worked under former Governor Saraki. They were also part of the PDP family under the leadership of the strongman of Kwara politics, Waziri Olusola Saraki. The implication is that chieftains on both sides are not strangers to, which had characterised previous elections.

The image of the Saraki Dynasty may continue to rub off on the APC. The cordial relations between Saraki and Ahmed is a core advantage. However, the split in the Saraki bloc has also been noted by observers. To the PDP, the days of the Saraki Dynasty are numbered. Senator Gbemi, the daughter of the late elder statesman is one of the arrowheads of the PDP, which is plotting to halt the influence of the formidable political family, which brought her to the limelight. But, to the APC, the dynasty h as enlarged its coast.

According to analysts, Kwara PDP lacks a formidable leadership. In the APC, Saraki is held in high esteem as the leader. In the PDP, the governorship aspirants are leaders of their tiny cells. Therefore, they perceive one another as rivals to be pulled down. For example, the antagonistic groups and caucuses were locked in a war of attrition over the choice of a new minister to replace Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who was dropped as minister by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The scramble for the ministerial slot further divided the chapter. There was no leader to resolve the crisis and serve as a symbol of unity.

The dust stirred by the bitter struggle has not settled. It is now being carried over to the battle for the governorship ticket. Although only 10 aspirants have unfolded their ambition, sources said that more will join the race, following the release of nomination guidelines next month.

In the race are serious contenders and pretenders. However, some aspirants stand out. Also, among the veteran contenders,only two appear to stand out. They are Belgore, the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate in 2011 election, and the business mogul, Jani Ibrahim.

Remarkably, in the last election, Babalola was the runner up to Ahmed. Thus, he is positioning himself for the race. His supporters are wiping up sentiments, saying that he deserves political sympathy. He is popular in the party. But, he has some hurdles to cross.

Belgore is from an aristocrat background like Saraki. Although he defected to the PDP, there is no assurance that the party will give him the ticket on the platter of gold. He has been described as a new comer by rivals. Observers have predicted that the primaries may be tough for him.

The former university don, Oba, is working assiduously to get the ticket. he is the Chairman of Federal Character Commission (FCC). But, he is not perceived as a rallying point in the party.

Senator Ajadi is pushing for power shift to his district. But, he may not be able to garner enough support at the primaries.

The businessman, Jani, is believed to be be making waves. His influence as a captain of industry and philanthropist is overwhelming. He is the Chairman of LUBCON, a lubricant company in llorin, the state capital. He is believed to be the second largest employer of labour in the state, second only to the government.

Jani is an alumnus of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos. He is the former National President of the NIPSS Alumni Association and Managing Director of the Nigeria Airways.

He is the former President of Kwara Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KWACCIMA) and former Chairman of the Conference of Northern States Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (CONSCCIMA).

The politician is also believed o be close to the grassroots. The focus of his campaign is derived from his name, JANI- for Jobs-Agriculture-Natural Resources- Infrastructural Development.

One of the factors that will shape the contest is zoning. Kwara South Senatorial District, which produced Ahmed in 2011, wants to retain the slot next year. Kwara Central, which has the largest population, is also agitating for the slot. Kwara North has not enjoyed the slot before. Thus, PDP chieftains from the zone are campaigning for power shift.

The question is: which district will produce the PDP flag bearer?

Source

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Sayomi     Ilorin South Constituency     Mahe Abdulkadir     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport     Danhawa     Siraj Oyewale     Radio SBS     Danladi     Al-Hikmah Radio     Alaiye     Oluwole Dupe     IHS Towers     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Amusement Park     Volunteers Of Ilorin Community And The Emirate     Oro Grammar School Old Students Association     Muhammed Abdullahi     Sunset Workers     Saadu Yusuf     Abraysports FC     Salary     Shettima     Daud Adeshola     Tunde Saad     Olufolake Abdulrazaq     Bursary     Maja     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     Laboratory-to-Product     Abioye Bello     Rapheal Ashaolu     Ayeyemi Sulaiman     Oba Sulaiman Asude     Hassan Oyeleke     Ekweremadu     KWASEIC     Plat Technologies Limited     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Council Of The Wise     Shonga Farm Project     Okin Biscuit     CT Ayeni     SSUCOEN     Ibrahim Oloriegbe     Sheikh Alimi     Sa\'adu Salau     Folorunsho Erubu     Oba Abdulrahim     Ridwan Agboola     Hijaab     Sulaiman Gado     Obasanjo     Abdullateef Abdussalam     Akorede     Borgu     Yusuf Abubakar     Mufutau Olatinwo     Yusuf Zulu-Gambari     Hijab     Yetunde Balogun     Isiaq Khadeejah     Kwara Basketball Association     Federal Allocation     Aliyu Alhassan     Air Peace     Malete     Hassanat Bello     Erin-ile     Abdul Jimoh Mohammed     Monthly Sanitation     UNILORIN Alumni     Sam Okaula     Yakubu Dogara     Lanwa     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Ita-Ore    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Just Law Forum     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     JSSCE     2023 Elections     Yusuf Abdulwahab     Kwara Apc     Adeniyi Ojo     Madawaki     Mogaji Aare     Ibrahim Kayode Adeyemi     Voices Of Tomorrow     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Yekini Adio     Dele Belgore     Adesoye College     Aishat Sulu-Gambari     Ishaq Abdulkarim     Sun Qing Rong     Saliu Shola Taofeek     Dauda Adeniran Adeshola     LABTOP     Women For Change And Development Initiative     Ayinde Oyepitan     Ayedun     Photo News     Afonja Descendants Union     Okoolowo     Igbomina     Neo Mundo Ltd     Garba Dogo     Okin Group     George Funsho Adebayo     Olohungbebe     Funmilayo Mohammed     Garba Ado Sanni     Fatimoh Lawal     Kwara University Of Education     Idris Amosa Saidu     Pategi     Yakubu Dogara     Jimba Babatunde     Abdulraheem Yusuf     AbdulRazaq Abubakar Jiddah     Razaq Ayobami Akanbi     Fatima Abolore Jimoh     Ilofa     Gbemisola Oguntimehin     Sherif Shagaya     Saduki Lafiagi     Sarkin Malamai     Saad Belgore     Abdulmutalib Shittu     Justina Oha     Unilorin     Ilesha-Gwanara     Saheed Akinwumi     Omotoso     John Kehinde Salako     Agboola Babatunde     Kwara North     Ahmed Shuaib Buranga     Edu     Abdulrasheed Na\'Allah     KFA     Nurudeen Mohammed     Jimoh Bashir     Offa     Osinbajo     Veterinary Teaching Hospital     KW-GIS     Mohammed Kamaludeen     Oba Abu     IsDB     Ministry Of Women Affairs And Social Development     Ilorin Metro Park     Democracy Day     Oluwole Dupe