Virile opposition, political pundits believe, is not only an integral part of democracy, it also facilitates the delivery of quality dividends of democracy to the electorate.

Political watchers say it moves the government to initiate and implement policies that will endear it to the electorate and enhance its chances in future elections.

But many stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party think that the party remains the only viable one in Kwara State. They had, at many forums, said Kwara belonged to PDP and that no other party should think it could dislodge their highly coveted position in the ‘State of Harmony.' According to them, any move by the opposition to gain power will end in futility and frustration.

Also, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed's recent assertion that the incursion of the Action Congress of Nigeria into Kwara State is an aberration has continued to generate mixed reactions. The postulation is being viewed by the opposition as undemocratic and symptomatic of a design to obliterate the opposition in the state. They are of the opinion that Ahmed's assertion in a recent media interaction with journalists in Ilorin, underscores the mentality of dominance and perpetuity being displayed by PDP stalwarts in the state.

This was in reaction to the verdict of the Kwara State Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal headed by Nurudeen Adeyanju, which nullified the Jan. 12, 2012 rerun in which the ACN candidate, Saheed Popoola, was declared as the chairman of the Offa LG by the state Independent Electoral Commission.

The PDP candidate in the election, Segun Olanipekun, had challenged the victory of Popoola on the grounds of non-compliance with the electoral law.

Ahmed said, "For us as a party, we have seen it (the verdict) as a very welcome development because we have always said that Kwara State is a strong PDP state. It is a strong state committed to the ideals of the PDP, exemplified by the projects and the environment we have been able to create to ensure that there is growth, peace and development for our people.

"The incursion of the ACN into Kwara State is an aberration and this has been proven by the annulled Offa LG election. For us as a party, we will continue to consolidate on these gains and ensure that our people across the state enjoy the dividends of democracy as provided under the platform of the PDP. So, we will continue to do that."

PDP's secretary in the state, Yemi Afolayan, while reacting to the nullification of the rerun, also described Kwara as a PDP state.

But the chairman of the ACN in the state, Kayode Olawepo, says Ahmed should know that the answer to the question of who governs the people in a democracy lies entirely with the people. He states that it is surprising that Ahmed could pre-empt the people of Kwara, who, he says, reserve the right to choose who governs them.

"That statement is pregnant and insulting to the people of Kwara. At any rate, the statement credited to the governor falls in line with those made in the past by PDP helmsmen, who boasted at every opportunity that the party will govern Nigeria for the next 60 years, even when school children would tell you that the last 15 years of PDP rule have been an unmitigated disaster.

"It is quite funny and indeed ironic that Ahmed is saying that his party would continue to rule the same people they have failed to serve. It is a way of saying the people have no choice, but to have the PDP imposed on them willy-nilly and that election is mere window dressing. It is against this backdrop that Kwara people should be wary of the PDP and its leaders," Olawepo said.

But Popoola said that virile opposition was necessary in a democratic setting, adding that it would promote good governance as the opposition would act as a check against maladministration. He maintained that Offa had remained and would remain in the opposition.

A state legislator, Hassan Oyeleke, said the opposition was a vital ingredient of democracy, which according to him, should be allowed to thrive to enhance good governance, probity and accountability.

Another legislator, Olayonu Tope, said the current politics was that of service delivery and delivering  the dividends of democracy to the electorate. He added that politicians should not fool themselves or the people any longer. He stated that the era of sycophancy, deceit and short-sightedness was gone.

"Currently, the situation in Kwara is that we have nothing to show for the kind of government we are running. It is all deceit.  If you are not part of them in deceiving the masses, they will always make it clear to you that they will show you the way out.

"As a state legislator, there are issues that need to be resolved and if the PDP does not want them to be resolved for people in Kwara to enjoy the dividends of democracy, one day, the entire people will forge ahead to get out of slavery. We are seriously in slavery," Olayonu said.

But Afolayan said the PDP or the state government was not averse to opposition. He stated that since the administration of Bukola Saraki, and up to the present Ahmed's tenure, the PDP had been winning all the elections in the state. He said the party in 2002 won all the three senatorial districts, six federal house constituencies, governorship and the 16 LG chairmanship seats and councillorship.

He added that in 2007, all the seats at the national, state and LG levels were won by the PDP. According to him, PDP won all the 24 seats in the state House of Assembly.

He said it was only during this tenure that the ACN got two state legislators and was declared winner of the Offa LG chairmanship seat before the nullification.

"That is to us an incursion into Kwara politics. The ACN got into Offa and made away with two assembly seats because of some infighting within the PDP. But the fences have been mended and many of those that left the PDP in Offa have come back. So, we can say the ACN coming to Kwara is a misadventure and we can also say conveniently that it is an aberration because after they came, we have conquered our

differences and we are chasing them out finally.

"The PDP had always cleared all the seats and it will remain so because the house that was divided against itself had been repaired. It is not the intention of this great party in this great state to muzzle the opposition. The government of (Bukola) Saraki gave appointments to the opposition. Anybody that can contribute or give value to good governance is allowed to come on board. Also, that of Ahmed has given appointments to many people. It is not a question of muzzling the opposition.

"Opposition is an essential ingredient in politics, where they will give credible and constructive criticisms and proffer solutions. It is not the intention of the party or the government to muzzle the opposition. We don't not do that. We give everybody a level playing ground. But Kwarans have always known their leaders. The structure in the state, which was put in place by Saraki, had been there for decades and he had consistently developed people over the years," Afolayan said.

Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin branch, Rafiu Balogun, said without a virile opposition, the government in power may not be able to deliver the dividends of democracy as required of it because nobody will put them on their toes.

"We need a virile, proactive and productive opposition in this country. That is why the PDP could do whatever it wants to do because it believes it is in power. If we have proactive houses of assembly, they will check them. If you look at the assembly in Kwara, virtually all of them are PDP members, although we have two ACN members. This is not good for our democracy.

"There will not be substantial growth because nobody will check them." Balogun said.