Intrigues as Gbemisola Saraki Eyes Kwara Ministerial Slot

Date: 2019-05-21

If feelers seeping out from the Kwara State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress is anything to go, there is a titanic battle currently ongoing between two of the state's prominent people in what amounts to a straight shoot-out for control of the local chapter of the APC. Both camps have started beating the war drums ahead of the impending inauguration of the new administration.

In one corner with her followers stands Gbemisola Saraki, daughter of the late strongman of Kwara politics and second republic lawmaker Olusola Saraki. In the other corner is long-serving APC stalwart and former national Publicity Secretary of the party Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Like two elites athletes who have set their sights firmly on the finish line, Gbemi Saraki and Lai Mohammed are eyeing the ministerial slot for Kwara in President Muhammadu Buhari's second term. While Gbemi is aiming to take her first bite of the ministerial apple, Lai Mohammed, the current minister of information and culture, is bidding to retain his position.

Over recent weeks, Gbemi has been on a charm offensive, trying to rally prominent Kwarans under the APC flag to her cause. She is also allegedly in contact with top APC officials at the national level. She is leaving no stone unturned to secure what she regards as just rewards for the herculean efforts she expended to unseat her blood brother and outgoing Senate president Bukola Saraki from his perch atop the Kwara political totem pole.

Expectedly, Lai Mohammed is not taking her recent moves lying down. They have been telling whoever cared to listen that Gbemi cannot match Lai in terms of loyalty or contributions to the cause. Lai Mohammed, they opined, has been a staunch loyalist who stayed in the APC under its various guises, unlike Gbemi who is a relative newbie having only decamped in 2015. They also pointed out how Mohammed has done a yeoman's job in his post and right from when he was the chief publicist for the APC.

As the battle heats up, Gbemi and Mohammed are banking on their respective networks at the national level to gain the upper hand. Gbemi is said to have wormed her way into the heart of the APC national chairman comrade Adams Oshiomhole such that he always consults her before making any important decision that affects the party in Kwara.

On the other hand, Alhaji Lai Mohammed is the designated leader of the party in the state and can count on the loyalty of much of the rank and file, despite Gbemi's recent moves to win them over. He is also said to be very close to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In fact, he served as Tinubu's Chief of Staff during his first term as Lagos governor.

With the die cast and the stage set, all eyes are now on President Muhammadu Buhari and his advisers to see which of the two titans of Kwara politics gets the nod to represent the state as a primary minister in the 2019-23 executive cabinet.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Ballah     Abdulraufu Mustapha     Budo-Egba     Aisha Ahman Pategi     Titus Ashaolu     David Oyedepo     Suleiman Idris     Inside Kwara     Abubakar Abdullahi Bata     Ahmad Olanrewaju Belgore     Taofik Abiodun Ahmed     Alapado     Abdulkareem Alabi     Okeose Christian Cementary     Kwara State Television     Salman Suleiman     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Bello Bature     Just Event Online     Habeeb Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Nagode     Turaki     Jebba     20 Billion Bond     Oluranti Idowu     ENetSuD     Dunmade     Dairo Kunle Paul     Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi     Arinola Lawal     Yakubu Mohammed Abdullahi     LAK Jimoh     Aremu Bose Deborah     Senior Special Assistant On Student Affairs     Azeez Bello     Pakata Development Association     Abdul-Rasheed Na\'Allah     Amina El-Imam     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Oba Abu     Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road     Christopher Odetunde     Halimah Perogi     Elections     Arinola Fatimoh Lawal     Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations     Maryam Nurudeen     Elerinjare-Ibobo     Raimi Iyanda     Labour Party     Folorunsho Alao     Bayo Ojo     Roheemat Hammed     Sidikat Uthman Ajibola     Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara     Unilorin FM     Oro Grammar School Old Students Association     Goodluck Jonathan     Isiaka AbdulRazaq     Salihu Alhaji Musa     Ilorin Likeminds Foundation     Adebayo Salami     Smart School     Elerinjare     Abdulrahman Abdulrasak     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Samuel Adedoyin     Ibraheem Adeola Katibi     Afolasade Opeyemi Kemi     Abdullahi AbdulMajeed     AGILE Programme     Oniwa     AGM Professional Services     Reuben Paraje     KWIRS     Kabir Shagaya     CELF    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Obuh     Ibrahim Abikan     Ilorin.Info     Pius Abioje     Ajikobi     Shuaib Olarongbe     Boko Haram     Umar Adelodun     Al-Adaby     Henry Olaosebikan     Kamaldeen Kehinde     Hauwa Nuru     KWASAA     Basit Olatunji     Elesie Of Esie     Kwara Metro Park     Muhammadu Gobir     Oluranti Idowu     CKNG     Ayinde Oki     Coronavirus     Www.Kwarareports.com     Muritala Awodun     Olukotun Of Ikotun     Abdulquowiyu Olododo     Mohammed Abduraheem     Oke-Ero     Universal Basic Education Commission     Saba Jibril     Ibrahim Sulu Gambari     Oloye     Belgore     Oyawoye     Amos Sayo     Valsolar     Aisha Ahman Pategi     Jaigbade Alao     Dan Iya Of Ilorin     Taiwo Joseph     Lithium Deposit     Idowu Laro     Association Of Kwara State Online Media Practitioners     Kayode Zubair     2023 Elections     Rebecca Olanrewaju     Maryam A. Garuba     LAK Jimoh     Onilu     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Muhammed Abdullahi     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Rasheed Jimoh     Igbomina     NYSC     Abdullahi Samari     Tsaragi     Aisha Ahman-Pategi     Mopelola Abdulmaliq-Bashir     Sa\'adu Salau     Marafan Shonga     Sunday Otokiti     Yemi Sanni     Oba Abu     Issa Baba     Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     Adeleke Ogungbe     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Tanke Flyover Bridge     Tunji Arosanyin     Raji Ayodele Kamaldeen     Laduba     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     Tayo Alao     Iyabo Adisa Ibiyeye     Monthly Sanitation Exercise     Habeeb Abdullahi Al-Ilory