Sarakigate and the battle for 2015

Date: 2012-05-17

WHILE he has not made a public disclosure of his ambition to have a shot at the presidency in 2015, political moves and calculations in political circles, particularly among the supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State in recent times, suggest that the camp of the immediate past former governor of the State of Harmony, Dr Bukola Saraki, may just be bidding its time to unveil the programmes of action for the 2015 presidential race.

Many politicians in the camp of the senator representing the Kwara Central Senatorial District even believe that the recent travail of the medical doctor turned politician in the hands of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) were not unconnected with the plans of some power brokers to ruffle and embarrass him over the perceived plan to contest the 2015 presidential race.

There has been a beehive of activities in the Nigerian political terrain of late. Top on the list is the Honourable Farouk Lawan-led subsidy scam probe being attended to by the House of Representatives on the recommendations of the subsidy committee. The report has been aired and read by the House, which eagerly awaits the presidency's full implementation of its recommendations to prosecute those indicted by the report.

In separate interviews with some sympathisers of Bukola Saraki on his recent invitation by the SFU, they said that they had expected a show of remorse from the culprits in a country where high-profiled cases of corruption such as the two trillion naira fuel subsidy scam were discovered, through voluntary resignation of their current appointments and maintaining a low profile, pending when further actions would be taken by the presidency and the anti-graft bodies.

"Surprisingly, the reverse is the case; the cabals are even gathering more momentum to witch-hunt and torment Senator Saraki with a corruption case that holds no water, rather than bury their heads in shame for committing the greatest criminal offence in the history of Nigeria.

"It would be recalled that sequel to the implementation of the 2011 budget, Saraki had moved a motion to investigate the current fuel subsidy management that had exposed the illegal affairs of some oil companies in the ongoing fuel subsidy investigation which indicted the cabals.

"This move by Saraki was applauded by all and sundry who, in recent times, believed that trying to stop corruption was like collecting raindrops with both palms. The findings have set him on a war path with his political adversaries who are hell bent on soiling the good name he has jealously preserved over the years.

"They are appalled by the outcome of the report, which signaled an era where corruption ceased to be treated with kid gloves. The game is up and their only consolation is to hound him down, albeit with corruption charges that keep re-surfacing whenever they are at war with his ideologies.

"If the Special Force Unit (SFU) claimed that the invitation of Saraki was to assist it in tracing the waived 21 billion naira loan by the defunct Intercontinental Bank, then the ferocious desperation to forcefully arrest him in the face of a court injunction justifies political victimisation.

"However, since the SFU is interested in Joy Petroleum alone at the expense of 17 other companies, their inability to unmask the real owners of Joy Petroleum as a preamble for a genuine investigation will further aggravate a delay in justice, while making false accusations the order of the day", a source told Nigerian Tribune.

It was also gathered that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in 2010, investigated the matter and it was laid to rest for lack of substance.

"The bank made provisions for the loans and has therefore not complained that it recovered any loss in the wake of the transaction. One would begin to wonder if it is proper for a group of aggrieved persons to use an organ meant to prosecute real criminals to oppress an individual for exposing their shady deals. It would be interesting to see if the SFU would allow itself to be used once again to perpetrate evil", the source said.

Meanwhile, it is worthy of note that Kwara State, nay North Central, remains the political stronghold of Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki, popularly referred to as Oloye, until the last general election when political differences in the family gave room for the opposition to claim political conquest in the area. To a large extent, investigations  and the political developments had revealed that the family had made far-reaching efforts to bridge the gap by reconciling the aggrieved parties in the political difference through political appointments among other measures.

As things stand, however, the house has returned to its old indivisible form, except for the expected public show of reconciliation from Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Bukola Saraki's sister, who contested the Kwara governorship election under the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) but lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) candidate, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Aside that, the Sarakis, represented by the two-term governor of Kwara State who is now the acclaimed political leader  in Kwara State, appear poised to bid for the 2015 presidency, except political calculations or alignments dictate otherwise. The reason for this may not be too far-fetched, as the North Central Senatorial District has made it so clear that it is one of the zones entitled to the presidency in 2015.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Adamu Attah     Kumbi Titiloye     2017 Budget     KWIRS     Umar Yakubu Jaja     KWASAA     Magaji Nda     Simeon Sule Ajibola     Abdullateef Abdussalam     Hamidu Olowo     Yakubu Gobir     Gbugbu     Kamoru Kadiri     Otunba Taiwo Joseph     Sunday Fagbemi     Ilorin Water Reticulation     Afeyin-Olukuta     Kwara Basketball Association     Abdulkadir Akanbi-Oke     Binta Abubakar Mora     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Umar Adelodun     Nnazua     Ahmed Dankaya     Raji AbdulRasaq     Omoniyi M. Ayinla     Imodoye Writer’s Enclave     Osuwa     Sidikat Akaje     Yunus Lawal     Omu-aran     Abdulquowiyu Olododo     Daud Adeshola     Ministry Of Women Affairs And Social Development     Abubakar Olusola Saraki     Oyawoye     Oko-Erin     Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone     Saka Saadu     Umar Danladi Shero     Jani Ibrahim     UNILORIN Alumni     07039448763     Elections     Volunteers Of Ilorin Community And The Emirate     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     Tunji Oyawoye     Fatai Garuba Labaka     Boko Haram     Kubra Kazum     Olosi Of Osi     Imam Gambari     Justina Oha     Abubakar Baba Sulaiman     Bello Abubakar     Durbar Festival     Olofa Of Offa     YAKOOYO     Isiaka Yusuf     Alfa Belgore     AbdulRaheem Ahmad Shayi     Ilorin Emirate     Abdullahi Saadudeen Alikinla     Aliyu Umar     Undergraduate Bursary     Asiwaju Bola Tinubu     NAWOJ     Abdulrahman Iliasu     UNIFEMGA     Chief Imam Of Offa     Magaji Are     Ella Supreme Tissue Paper     All Confederation Of Principals Of Secondary Schools     Facebook     Galland Marcias     Wahab Olasupo Egbewole     Abdulfatah Ahmed    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Hamid Bobboyi     Sadiq Buhari     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     AbdulFatai Adeniyi Dan-Kazeem     Olushola Saraki     Sam Okaula     Michael Imoudu National Institute For Labour Studies     Tafida Of Kaiama     Goodluck Jonathan     Alabere     Okin Malt     Baakini     Javed Khan     Shehu Alimi Foundation     Oba Abdulrahim     Simeon Sule Ajibola     Dasuki Belgore     College Of Arabic And Islamic Legal Studies     Olabimpe Olani     08001000100     Yakub Ali-Agan     Abubakar Baba Sulaiman     Tanke     Ohoro Of Shao     Aliyu Muyideen     Alore     Issa Oloruntogun     Abdulmutalib Shittu     Ilorin Curfew     NAWOJ     Kwara State Football Association     Medinat Folorunsho Salman     Owo Isowo     Dorcas Afeniforo     Elerinjare-Ibobo     Ilorin     Igbaja     Madawaki Of Ilorin     Student Learning Support Helpline     Matthew Okedare     Sheikh Hamzat Yusuf Ariyibi     Mustapha Akanbi     SWAN     Abdulraufu Mustapha     Modibo Kawu     Aremu Odolaye     3MTT     Suleiman Abubakar     Jare Olatundun     Maryam Ado Bayero     Muritala Awodun     Dagbalodo     Tafidan Kaiama     Kwara Consultative Forum     Abubakar Atiku     Ibrahim Abiodun     Chief Of Staff     Face Masks     Ishola Abdullahi     Prince Mahe Abdulkadir     Gbenga Olawepo     LEAH Charity Foundation     Ibrahim Jawondo     Joseph Yemi Ajayi     Saraki     Ajidagba     Rachael Obisesan     IFK     Musbau A. Akanji     Olaiya Lawal     Oke Sunna     Emir Of Shonga     Gbajabiamila     Maigidasanma     Akorede     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Okiki