Politics, Governance and Powerplay in Kwara APC: Is the “Otoge” Manthra Not becoming “Otuka” and “Oyiwo” ?

  1. Politics should be about popularity and acceptability of candidates by the citizenry or members of a political party. Of course, the duo (popularity and acceptability) are not won by mere use of thuggery or throwing jibes in the form of stones, chairs and all sorts of offensive material at each other, but on how well, you have positively played yourself into the heart of the people and your level of influence (since leadership is all about influence) within the party. But what is happening in the Kwara State ruling APC is abnornal to hearing and appauling to signing.
  2. This was what happened yesterday at the Kwara State Banquet hall, among the members of the Kwara State ruling APC, during membership registration. The leaders of the ruling party have been on powerplay and leadership tussle in the last one year, but the cresendo of it all were hitherto seen in the last one month. As we speak there are about 2 to 3 factions in the Kwara State APC, this causing serious boiling within the state, this affecting governance, in as much as we believe the statement of Miccolo Machiavelli in 1896, “that politics and governance are two inseparable entities”.
  3. I saw how members of the ruling APC throwing chairs and destroying the Beautiful edifice built by Dr. Bukola Saraki with tax payers’ monies in Banquet Hall. Should we called the members of the ruling APC destroyer of our patrimony or thug or destabilizers of the peace in the state of harmony? I saw how members of the same party attacked others, how one of the factional party chairman, Alh Bolarin Omolaja Basheer(BOB) was attack and how “Iya Lamule” was yelling at other Members. It’s pathetic, that the “Otoge” manthra is becoming something else in the state of harmony.
  4. Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak seems not understand the implications of what the drift from “Otoge” to “Otuka” will come to play in 2023 will cost him and his party in Kwara? The Governor should learn from the “Ambode”( the former governor of Lagos State) way, as party politics can mar his aspirations for another 4years. He should be more of leaders than rulers; he should understand that governance and politics are inseparable.
  5. The factional chairmen and their followers should just keep quiet and support the Governor they brought into power ( some say they brought him to power, through propaganda against the Saraki Dynasty, some say it was through Abuja-back-door and some say he paid ransomely to other contestants and party bigwig before he emerged as party candidate). Which ever one it is, we don’t care, In as much as he was declared winner in 2019 by INEC inconsonance with our constitution, he remain the alpha and omega of Kwara State (after God). So all of these shouts and shenanigans on radio or paper media won’t have said Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak is the Governor of Kwara State. Let Baba Iyiola Akogun, Professor Oba, Chief BOB, Hon. Popoola from offa and et al. accept this glaring fact).
  6. Moreso, other party members, that’re drumming the war of “We no go gree ooo” types of drum, should learn from the effects of the intraparty fracas in River State APC, prior to 2019 election. The fight was between the Senator Magnus Abbey led faction and Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Ameachi led faction within the same APC, that alone Nyesome Wike rode on to become Governor of River State today. Maybe in Kwara, the intraparty fracas, will catalyse the “Saraki is coming back” song in the mouth of the Sarakites? Only time will tell.
  7. The Kwara of our dream we pray for. The Kwara where all roads are motorable; where son of pepper seller like Bello Olamilekan Kabir can get government scholarship and grants without having any connections; where teachers are given insentives and promotions entitled to them as at when due; where labour will not have to go on strike before there welfare are duly taken care of; where Government are transparent to the governed on how tax payers’ monies are/were spent; where votes of the electorates count and where graduates are gainfully employed. God bless Kwara of our dream.

Yesbit Bello Olamilekan Kabir
National Convener

YESBIT, Youth Enlightenment for Society Building Initiative.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.