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.

Medview Airlines     Shonga     Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara     Sidikat Uthman Ajibola     Abubakar Abdullahi Bata     07039448763     Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh     Olawuyi     Mujtabah Bature     Alimi     IHS Towers     Plat Technologies Limited     Muideen Olaniyi Alalade     Tafida Of Kaiama     HICA     Kwarareports.com     Veterinary Teaching Hospital     Habeeb Saidu     Bolaji Nagode     Hakeem Idris     Aliyu Salihu     ASMAU PLAZA     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport Ilorin     Olusegun Adeniyi     Harrison Osauwagboe     Ayinde Oyepitan     SARS     Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP)     Oyeyemi Olasumbo Florence     AbdulGafar Tosho     Abdulrasaq Alaro     Col. Ibrahim Taiwo     Abdulwaheed Musa     Awodun     Azeez Salawu     Kwara Politics     TESCOM 2025     Gaa Olobi     Abdulrazaq Sanni     Segun Ogunsola     Baakini     Marufat Oladosu     Shola Odetundun     Marafan Shonga     Toyin Falola     CKNG     Alapansapa     Plat Technologies     Binta Abubakar Mora     Surajudeen Akanbi     Sunday Fagbemi     Abubakar Usman Jos     Women For Change And Development Initiative     Funmilayo Braithwaite     Mohammed Abduraheem     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     Bayo Mohammed Onimode     Emmanuel Bello     Sobi     Shaykh Luqman Jimoh     Apaola     Isiaka AbdulRazaq     Oba-Solagberu     Abdulfatai Ahmed     Abdulrasheed Lafia     Ethical College     All Confederation Of Principals Of Secondary Schools     Victor Gbenga Yusuf     Patigi Regatta     March 18     Jimoh Lambe Abdulkareem     KwaraLearn     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Bashir Adigun     Olubukola Kifayat Adedeji     Akeem Lawal     Sola Saraki University    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Okin Malt     Isin     Tafida Of Ilorin     Ishaq Salman     Bamidele Aluko     Igbaja     Summit University     Amusa Bello     Mazars Consulting     Maryam A. Garuba     Kawu     AbdulRazaq Abubakar Jiddah     Sodiya     Pakata Patriots     Fareedah Dankaka     Asa     Olatinwo     Federal College Of Education (Special), Afon     Islamic Development Bank     Tunde Saad     Imodoye Writer’s Enclave     Ibrahim Abikan     Abdulrazaq Sanni     Owode Market     Lafiagi     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     Oba Mogaji Abdulkadir     Tunji Folami     Musbau A. Akanji     Bello John Olanrewaju     Gbadeyan Gbadura Yomi     Tsaragi-Share     Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Olatunji Moronfoye     Wahab Abayawo     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     Akeem Olatunji     Bio Ibrahim     Chief Of Staff     Umar Saro     Abdulrahman Abdulrazak     Bukola Saraki     Ibrahim Mashood     Agboola Abdulraheem     Durbar Festival     Sayomi     Oluronke Adeyemi     Kayode Laro     QuickWin     Idris Garuba     Gbenga Awoyale     Kola Bukoye     CCB     Unicontinental Construction Company     Abdulkadir Orire     Oju Ekun Sarumi     Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar     Amuda Bembe     Abdulwahab Ololele     Michael Ologundea     Owu Fall     Baboko     Ishaq Oloyede     Centre For Peace And Strategic Studies     HAMFAT Clinic And Maternity     General Hospital, Offa     Adedipe     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Baruten     Ajibola Saliu Ajia     Salihu Yahaya     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     Vasolar Consortium     Binta Sulyman     Jamila Bio Ibrahim     Oba-Solagberu