Kwara guber primary: Ajibola’s fate hangs in balance

UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB retraces the outcome of the primaries that has now made Ajibola’s fate confounding to political pundits

Following fresh controversies trailing the emergence of senator representing kwara south senatorial district,Simon Sule Ajibola as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP) in the state,the faith of the law makers seems to be hanging in the balance, Blueprint reports.
Ajibola had on Friday last week been declared winner of the PDP guber primary having polled 144 votes to defeat 10 other aspirants in a rescheduled primary supervised by the Governor of Benue state,Gabriel Suswam.
But many members of the PDP and the ruling All Progressive Congress APC, were disappointed and shocked by his emergence. While those in the PDP expressed concern and subsequently protested that Ajibola’s candidature cannot lead the party to victory against the well structured APC in 2015, those in the APC said they were equally disappointed that his emergence would stop the APC leadership from doling out funds during campaigns because according to them, “Ajibola pose no threat to the APC”.
“His (Ajibola’s) emergence had really spoilt our show because the APC that wants to retain power by all means will not dole out again because he cannot pose any threat to them”,said a youth who do not want his name in print.
And in a demonstration of their disappointment, scores of PDP members, mostly youth,stormed the Asa dam secretariat of the party in  Ilorin on Saturday to protest the choice of Ajjibola.
It was gathered that the youth who could not gain entrance to the secretariat laid siege on the secretariat to vent their grievance.
They alleged that Ajibola was not a formidable candidate that could defeat the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), the incumbent Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The protesters who were bearing different placards described Ajibola as a stooge of APC, stressing that the candidate does not have the capacity to take PDP to victory.
Besides, they alleged that the primary which produced Ajibola was not transparent.
Ajibola has however dismissed the allegations of the protesters, urging them to “reconcile with reality”.
“That’s their own business. That’s their problem, why didn’t they collect form to contest? At least, opportunity was given to them”, he said.
Ajibola, a third term senator was the only one out of the three senators in the state who refused to defect to the All Progressive Congress (APC) with former governor Bukola Saraki.
The Isapa born politician from Ekiti local government area of kwara state, prior to his emergence as the party’s candidate ,was the chairman of the PDP governorship Aspirants’ Forum.
He defeated 10 other aspirants in a keenly contested rescheduled on Thursday last week which ran till the wee hours of Friday.
Other results as announced by the panel Chairman, governor Gabriel Suswam ,were Dele Belgore (SAN) who emerged the runner up with 130 votes. Senator Gbemisola Rukayyat Saraki (113), Senator Mokanjuola Ajadi (107), Professor Oba Abdulraheem (58), Hon. Bio Ibrahim (45), Engineer Jani Ibrahim (27), Alhaji Hakeem Lawal (13), Deacon John Dara (four), Sunday Babalola (three) and Kale Belgore (one) while Sanusi Abdullahi got no vote.
If he scaled through the hurdles, Ajibola will face incumbent governor, who is also from kwara south senatorial district.The incumbent,Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed had emerged unopposed as APC sole candidate and his endorsement was ratified by 3007 delegates from across the 16 local government area of the state, at the party’s primary held on at the Ilorin stadium complex on December 4th.
In deciding who becomes governor of  the state in 2015,analysts say the issue of religion and ethnicity will come to play.
Meanwhile, Minister and Deputy Chairman National Planning Commission, Dr. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, has reiterated that the PDP will continue to align with the people’s interest  and respect their  wishes.
The minister’s comment followed the grievances from some major stakeholders within the party over the process leading to the emergence of Senator Ajibola as the PDP governorship candidate in 2015 general elections.
A statement by the Special Assistant (Media) to the minister, Abdrahman A. Abdrauf on Saturday, urged the party’s teeming supporters in the state to be calm and resist taking law into their hands.
Sulaiman said: “It is true that our party had its congress a few days ago at the end of which Senator Simon Ajibola emerged. Our party is one that respects democracy and its tenets and that is why I am appealing to our supporters and admirers in the state who are aggrieved with the initial process to remain calm. There is always a way out and I want to therefore appeal to our people not to take law into their hands.
“They should remain resolute, resilient and allow the party to find an amicable means of resolving the issue at hand. They should keep faith with the PDP family as all matters will be resolved in the best interest of the people.
“It is common knowledge that Kwarans are urgently yearning for change in the governance of the state, and by the grace of God, this change shall come to pass. We are not unaware of the challenges ahead, and with God on our side the task is not insurmountable.”