Kwara 2019: We won’t surrender our sovereignty – Prof Suleiman

 
Immediate past Minister of National Planning and PDP Campaign Organisation in Kwara state, Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman, says under no circumstances will Kwarans surrender their sovereignty as a people. UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB captured his inaugural speech.
 
Before the new assignment
 
Prior to his appointment, the professor of political Science with University of Abuja had aspired to be governor of the State. He was among the aspirants that contested during the party’s primaries which eventually produced Barrister Razaq  Atunwa, who is currently a member representing Ilorin West/Asa federal constituency at the House of Representatives.
 
Popularly called Amana (Trust), Suleiman no doubt had remained a leading opposition figure against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the country. His appointment, therefore as the DG of the PDP’s campaign organization, was seen by his admirers as a round peg in a round hole.
 
A vocal and outspoken politician, Suleiman is saddled with the task to lead to victory, the governorship campaign of PDP candidate, Rasaq Atunwa, the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and other candidates in the 2019 general elections.
 
Speaking at the inauguration of the PDP’s campaign organisation in Ilorin, the former minister described the event of the day as  “a watershed in the history and  politics of kwara state”.
 
According to him, “for me, this appointment is a call to serve my father land to ensure that all our candidates emerge victorious”.
 
Coming from the group of the old PDP members who had been in the path working hard to revive and reposition the party following the defeat in the 2015 general elections before the defection of the Senate President, Dr Saraki and his supporters to the PDP’, Suleiman had been one of those critical of the Saraki dynasty.
 
He, however said his appointment as the campaign DG had proofed many wrong that Saraki might hijack the party structures and push aside those who had labour to sustain the party.
 
 “My appointment as the DG has put to rest the perceived acrimony between the old and new PDP”, he said and with this he said,”Saraki stands for honesty, equity, fairness and justice”.
 
The challenges ahead 
 
Not pretending that it will be business as usual for the PDP and Saraki political dynasty, the DG admitted that the 2019 elections will come with a lot of challenges for the party.
 
“Without discrimination and ill feelings, 2019 elections will come with a lot of challenges because of the inability of the APC to deliver in the last four years”, he said
 
But against all odds, he was quick to add that the 2019 elections for the PDP in Kwara is “one election that must be won, whatever it takes us it must be won”.
Making a veiled reference to perceived external forces collaborating with the opposition in the state to wrestle power from the ruling PDP in the state, Suleiman said the people of the State should not for any reason surrender their sovereignty as a people.
 
“Under no circumstances must we surrender our sovereignty as a people.
Under no circumstances must we redesign the Geographical location of this state”, he admonished Kwarans. We must leave no stone unturned. Atunwa must be our governor in 2019”, he implying that victory for the APC would amount to surrendering Kwara to external influence.
 
Federal might
 
For the second time after the demise of the strong man of Kwara politics, late Dr Olusola Saraki, who was the father of senate president, the Saraki political dynasty would be working against the tide of “federal might”.
 
This, many analysts believed is absurd as far as the late Saraki’s style of politics was known.An assertion, dismissed by the campaign DG.
 
Corroborating Saraki’s assurance to his supporters that the PDP will regardless of “federal might”, reclaim Kwara and liberate from external enslavement, Abukakar, who was minister of National Planning during the 2015 elections, admitted that  Saraki truly defeated his team with its federal might in that election.
But he expressed confidence that now that they are working together in the same party things would turn out much better.
 
Scores card 
 
Appraising the performance of the State governor, the former minister said the governor had created atmosphere of “harmony and peace in kwara” which he said is the necessary ingredients for development.
 
 Better kwara ahead
 
He promised that the next PDP government will improve on the performance of the outgoing administration, if voted into power in 2019, the DG assured that the people of the state under PDP government will witness “growing development where nobody will cry of hunger, we shall take kwara back to greatness”, he said
 
Apart from the former minister other leaders of the campaign council include  Alhaji Khaleel  Bolaji to coordinate Kwara south, Alhaji Issa Bawa ( north) , Alh Ladi Edun (central), Bode Ojomu, Director of Media and Publicity; Comrade Ben Duntoye, Director of Youths and Alh Isiaka Danmairomo, Director of Campaigns among others.
 
The candidate
Hon. Atunwa is the chairman, House Committee on Justice and currently also heading the House Committee investigating corruption in the award of Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245.
Born on the 17th of October, 1969 in Ilorin, Kwara state, he attended Immaculate Heart Secondary School, where he obtained Ordinary Level Certificate in 1986.
After 11 successful years as a Barrister at law in London where he specialized in criminal and international law, Hon Atunwa returned to Nigeria in 2005.
36-year-old Atunwa was appointed as the commissioner for Land and Housing in Kwara state in August 2005, commissioner for information and home affairs (2006 – 2007), commissioner for works and transport (2007 – 2009) and commissioner for finance (2009 – 2010).
Hon Atunwa has immense governance experience in Kwara state after working in four different ministries in his thirties.
In 2011, he was elected into the Kwara state house of assembly to represent Owode/Onire Constituency of Kwara state on the (PDP) platform and was later unanimously elected speaker of the Assembly at the inauguration of the 7th legislature.