Kwara By-Election: Lai Mohammed 1, Saraki 0

Date: 2018-11-23

Last weekend, by-elections held in three states -Kwara, Bauchi and Katsina. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was expected to win in Bauchi and Katsina. However, all eyes were on Kwara and the reasons are not far fetched.

The strong man of Kwara politics, Senate President Bukola Saraki had defected from the APC to the PDP and as expected, members of the National and state assemblies also joined him in PDP. The Senate President is firmly in control of Kwara politics the same way Bola Tinubu is in control of Lagos politics. Every politician in the state rides into office on Saraki's back.

On the other hand, since Saraki defected, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, automatically became the leader of APC in the state.

Since Saraki's defection, this was the first election that was holding in Kwara. It was seen as a straight contest between Saraki and Lai Mohammed. Saraki wanted to prove that he still holds the ace in Kwara and Lai Mohammed wanted to prove to the federal government that he could deliver the state to APC and assume the numero uno position of Kwara politics.

I was following the election with keen interest and when it was announced, Lai Mohammed caused an upset, with the APC winning the election. This is the first time a candidate, who is not backed by Saraki, is winning an election into the National Assembly or any election in the state. This was a monumental victory for Lai Mohammed and APC. The divorce between the senate president, the APC was so bitter that Saraki and Mohammed became sworn enemies. So I could understand the gloating by the APC.

When I spoke to some of my friends from Kwara, they said it was more of a protest vote as the indigenes were already getting tired of the Saraki dynasty in the state. So, I asked myself, is this the beginning of the end for the Saraki dynasty in Kwara? All good students of history will know that nothing lasts forever; dynasties and empires have come and gone.

However, I think it's still too early to predict that this is cusp of Saraki's reign in Kwara. We still have the general elections coming up in February and March. Saraki by now, like a good general, would have gone back to the drawing board to restrategise .He might have lost the battle but the major war is still ahead. Saraki knows that a takeover of the state by the APC in 2019 will translate to his political obituary.

The APC too should not celebrate too early or become complacent in the general elections in Kwara. We know in politics, 24 hours is enough to change the tide of the game. The APC may have won the first half of the game; the second half would be interesting indeed.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Abdulrauf Aliyu     Akanbi-Oke     Fareedah Dankaka     Okedare     Bayo Ojo     HICA     Ahman Pategi University     Magaji Erubu     Wole Oke     Rueben Parejo     Allocation     Vishvas KOZ Tractors     Fatimat Saliu     Ojo Isekuse     Olayinka Are     Bolaji Abdullahi     Harafat E. Mukadam     Abdullahi Imam Abdullahi     Kwabes     Chief Imam Of Omu-Aran     Folaranmi Aro     Wahab Issa     Kuliyan Geri     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Cassava Growers\' Association     Share/Tsaragi     Curfew     Isiaka Gold     Offa     Kwara TV     Ayobami Akanbi     Shaykh Luqman Jimoh     Yusuf Amuda Abubakar     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     Habeeb Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Suleiman Mora Omar     Ilorin West     Hakeem Lawal     Laduba     Nurudeen Muhammed     Peculiar Allowance     Haruna Tambiri Mohammed     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     Kayode Ogunlowo     Crystal Corner Shops     National Association Of Nigerian Students     IHS Towers     Niguel Gallando Marcias     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     Kwara Primary Health Care Development Agency     Oniye     Alliance For Democracy     Abdullahi Saadudeen Alikinla     Omoniyi Ayinla     Council Of The Wise     Noah Yusuf     Abubakar Imam     Economic And Financial Crimes Commission     Tunji Moronfoye     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     Abiodun Abdulkareem     Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf     Amos Sayo     Afonja Descendants Union     Gbemisola Oguntimehin     Aliyu Umar     Ibraheem Adeola Katibi     Laboratory-to-Product     VADA     Abdul-Rahoof Bello     Isiaka Oniwa     State Bureau Of Internal Revenue     Abubakar B.M     Women For Change And Development Initiative     Abatemi Usman     Iyiola Oyedepo     Kwara State Internal Revenue Service    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Yemi Sanni     Aliyu Kora Sabi     Adesoye     National Democratic Congress     Henry Makinwa     Yusuf Lanre Badmus     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Abubakar Imam     T And K FOODS     March 18     2017 Budget     Halimah Perogi     MINILS     Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP)     Bond     Opobiyi     Ilorin Innovation Hub     NFAI     Apaokagi     Ibrahim Taiwo Road     Muhammed Taofeeq Abdulrazaq     Lawal Arinola Kudirat     Mohammed Jimoh Faworaja     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Adedipe     Wole Oke     Ifelodun     Radio Kwara     Okasanmi Ajayi     Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa     Hamidat Sulyman-Yusuf     Simeon Ajibola     Lanre Olosunde     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     Yomi Ogunsola     Haleeman Salman     Kwara State Pension Board     Hassanat Bello     Bamidele Adegoke Oladimeji     Read With Me     Kwara Politics     Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment     Student Learning Support Helpline     Kubra Kazum     Oke-Ode     Sabi     Jelili Yusuf     Ambassador Kayode Laro     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Abdulkadir Akanbi-Oke     Olubukola Kifayat Adedeji     Rabiu Kwankwaso     Government High School (GHS), Adeta     07039448763     Aisha Abodunrin Ibrahim     Binta Abubakar Mora     SDP     Ajidagba     Maigida Soludero Transit     Abdulrasheed Akogun     Alapado     Salman Suleiman     Opolo Global Innovation Limited     Shuaib Abdulkadir     Saudat Abdulbaqi     TETFUND     Kwara Hotel     Hamidu Olowo     COVID-19 Palliatives     Balikis Jawondo     Woro     Kwara State Internal Revenue Service     Goodluck Jonathan     Adeleke Ogungbe     Saka Keji     Mohammed Ghali Alaaya     Sobi FM