UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB writes on the political maneuvering that characterised the just concluded congresses of the PDP in Kwara state, asking what become of the unity after the exercise
Pre-congress move
After weeks of political maneuvering and tussle for leadership, the Kwara State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Wednesday last week elected 29 new state executive committee members to run the party’s affairs for the next four years. The exit of the state governor, Alhaji Abdlulfatah Ahmed and his political godfather, Dr Bukola Saraki who led their supporters to the All Progressives Congress (APC), created a vacuum in the party temporarily filled by the leadership of the Edo born caretaker committee chairman, Solomon Edoja in the last four months.
The congress
The congress, which started last week Tuesday, ran into the early hours of Wednesday under the supervision of a 5-man Congress Committee led by Senator Barnabas Gemade amidst water tight security.
It was the climax of power play amongst various factions as the party’s bigwigs perfected strategies to install their loyalists in key party offices, especially as party chairman and Secretary.
Prior to the state congress, several meetings were held across the state where stakeholders reviewed the list of candidates and assessed their chances. The contest also pitched old members of the party against those who defected from other parties, especially from the APC and the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
The intrigues
Prior to the congress, all factional leaders had picked their loyalists to be planted in the State Working Committee (SWC). The game plan was to later change following some political permutations. Right from the ward to local government congresses, top party shots including those eying governorship positions in 2015, had engaged in intense lobbying and in- fighting to impose ‘their own’ people as executives at various levels.
In fact, in the height of the politicking, the local government congress held in the state turned bloody leading to shooting and killing all in a bid for factional leaders to have their way.
The gladiators
Those listed in the power play seeking to influence the composition of the new state executive committee include among others ; Chairman, Federal Character Commission(FCC) and former Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Mr. Dele Belgore, SAN, Senator Simeon Sule Ajibola and Senator Suleiman Ajadi and an oil magnate, Hajia Muina Bola Sagaya, believed to have committed huge funds to the party since a caretaker committee was put in place.
More than any other party chieftains, the struggle for the party’s soul was more pronounced among the trios of Saraki, Sagaya and Abdulraheem, who all hail from Ilorin West local government. And at the end of the contest, the former lawmaker is reportedly in firm group as her loyalists emerged chairmen in 14 of the 16 local government areas in the state.
Without doubt, the result posted by the erstwhile lawmaker has really confirmed her popularity over and above other claimants to the party’s leadership in the state.
The sentiments
Determined to ensure the emergence of their candidates, the gladiators introduced sentiments into the politicking, thus resulting to creation of various groups championing different agenda. A source told Blueprint that on the eve of the congress, there were three main groups namely; the Kwara South/Kwara North Alliance, The Gbemi Saraki/Abdulrahman Abdulrazak Group/Dele Belgore, the Professor Oba/Col. Lawal Group and the emerging Muina Sagaya group.
The Kwara South group paraded the likes of Chief Ogundeji (former deputy governor), Chief Samuel Adedayo, Deacon John Dara and Senator Suleiman Makanjuola Ajadi as their arrow heads. They demanded for the chairmanship to be zoned to the south with the hope of leveraging on it to get the gubernatorial ticket.
Scheming
In the mid of the congress, most of the candidates were prevailed upon to step down after stakeholders agreed to zone the chairmanship to Kwara south. Out of the eight candidates vying for the position, five stepped down to allow for the zoning arrangement to work
Those left in the race included Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, a former member of the state House of Assembly, Sunday Fagbemi, defunct ACN Chairman and Bode Ojomu of former Goodluck/Sambo campaign organisation. They however failed to agree on consensus.
While Belgore was rooting for Oyedepo, Saraki supported Fagbemi, the former secretary of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN). The two contestants hail from Kwara South. At the end, Fagbemi was prevailed upon to step down for Oyedepo.
Others who stepped down were former Interim Publicity Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Mohammed Marrian Al-Hassan, Abdulkadir Manko, former Chairman Kaiama local government area, Alhaji Inuwa Musa Kallah and a former chieftain of APC, Revered Bunmi Olusona. At the end of the political networking, Oyedepo became the chairmanship candidate from the Kwara South. The new executives are dominated by loyalists of Saraki, Belgore and Abdulrasak.
Winning streaks
Our reporter gathered that the alliance reached about 48 hours to the congress, by Gbemi, daughter of the late kingmaker of Kwara politics, Dr Olusola Saraki, and Belgore, a legal expert, made other factional leaders lost out at the tension-soaked congress.
Saraki, according to insider sources, had picked Fagbemi for the chairmanship position, but on the eve of the congress, the game plan changed. Sagaya, a close ally of the president’s wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, had relied on her clout at the presidency, while Saraki, a two-term lawmaker took advantage of the structure of her father and second republic Senate leader, Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki to carry the day.
Belgore on the other hand, commands majority of support from the youths, while the FCC boss banked on the many jobs he was able to secure for some unemployed youths within the state.
On the whole, the Belgore/Saraki alliance resulted in the overwhelming victory recorded by their camp, sweeping about 30 of the 33 seats of the new executives.
The other group branded “Freedom Group” with Abdulraheem, Sagaya, Ajibola and former Minister of Sports, Isa Bio Ibrahim as arrow heads, lost out in the contest. They could only go home with just three positions (Assistant Secretary and two ex-officios).
The results
Announcing result few minutes after 6.am, Gemade declared Oyedepo winner after polling 397 votes to defeat Ojomu, his rival who secured 225 votes, while Alhaji Maryam Al-Hassam came a distant third with 19 votes.
Other elected executive members are Deputy Chairman, Musa Kallah Umar; Secretary, Razaq Hassan; Vice-Chairman (South), Gbenle Adeyemi; Vice-Chairman (North), Sunday Oyebiyi; Vice-Chairman (Central), Salman Mustapha; Organising Secretary, Jimoh Jibril; Youth Leader, Segun Olawoyin; Publicity Secretary, Rex Olawoye; Women Leader, Nimota Sulaiman and Treasurer, Hassan Adebayo, among other ex-officio members.
Speaking with reporters shortly after the exercise, Gemade described the congress as “peaceful, extremely organised and well conducted”.
He said: “I am quite satisfied that the congress was peaceful, extremely organised and it was well conducted. I believe that the delegates also behaved well and discharged themselves in a manner that is acceptable. I believe that this is giving the picture of a winning party like the Peoples Democratic Party. The reason for our complete internal democracy today is to ensure that imposition, which has occurred many times in the past, which led to our losing election in very sensitive places like Kwara State will not happen again.
“Today internal democracy has been successfully exercised and every delegate, every leader, every follower, every member of this party has left this venue fully satisfied and I believe that at the end of the day Kwara would be truly liberated.”
Freedom group kicks
But barely 24hours after the congress, the Freedom group, rejected the result of the congress, alleging that the exercise was marred by irregularities.
A statement signed by Chief Lanre Ogundeji, a younger brother to former deputy governor of the state, said the congress’ outcome “was full of discrepancies,” and variance especially between total number on the number of accredited delegates and those who voted for chairmanship candidates.
The decision to reject the result was taken after preliminary assessment of the congress and its outcome, the statement explained.
“Specifically, the group said whereas more than 800 delegates were accredited, just about 550 votes were recorded for all candidates who contested the chairmanship seat. What happened to the balance of about 250 votes of accredited delegates,” it queried?”
They said: “The Freedom Group in the Kwara State PDP has rejected the result of the State Congress declared on Wednesday by the Barnabas Gemade Electoral Committee, because of glaring irregularities.
“After a preliminary assessment of the Congress and its outcome, the group said the outcome was full of discrepancies, especially on the variance between the number of delegates accredited and the number of votes recorded for the contestants.”
The group further noted that “whereas more than 800 delegates were accredited, just about 550 votes were recorded for all candidates who contested the chairmanship seat. What happened to the balance of about 250 votes of accredited delegates?”
While also alleging some abnormalities in the sorting of votes which it claimed led to the stealing of Ojomu’s votes, Ogundeji said: “Moreover, Hon. Gabriel Olatunji, who contested to be vice chairman, Kwara North senatorial district, was scored zero, but the candidate voted for himself and h ad many supporters who voted for him at the Congress.
“In summary, the Freedom Group is convinced that the results declared at the end of the Congress do not reflect the choice of the delegates who went through a rigorous screening and accreditation process”.
Fence mending
Now that the congress is over, the concern of some stakeholders within the party is whether the unity which it laboured to achieve with the recent unity rally attended by the President will be sustained after the congress.
Already, the party’s big wigs have polarised the party in an attempt to impose their men in key positions. This is evident in the emergence of different groups before the congress.
And in what seems to be an attempt to mend the cracked fence, Saraki was said to have paid a surprise visit to Abdulraheem at his private residence in Kaduna road,Adewole Ilorin at the weekend.
The purpose of the visit; it was gathered, was premised on the need for the PDP to forge ahead in unity and cohesion after the conclusion of the party’s congresses. Saraki, who reportedly arrived Abdulraheem’s residence in company of a modest convoy, told her host she was at his appreciate in appreciation of his doggedness during the exercise and to also urge him to ensure that the party is kept intact, irrespective of the outcome of the congress.
While responding, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin was quoted to have said that he was “quite impressed” with the visit and promised to reciprocate the gesture in no time.
He was further quoted to have said the late patriarch of the Saraki family, is a personality he would forever hold in high esteem, irrespective of momentary politicking and power tussle.
According to report, the FCC chair was quoted to have said that he (Abdulraheem) had been warned by his father long ago not to stand in the way of the Saraki family, except if the interest of the larger Ilorin community is at stake. The former university administrator also reportedly said the outcome of the congresses notwithstanding, he would continue to appreciate the good manners of Senator Gbemi , who he said, had been ‘my good sister’ all along.
The visit, our reporter observed is beginning to douse tension that hitherto existed between the two camps. With this development and the bloodletting recorded during the party’s ward congresses, analysts are of the view that “until the party holds its primaries to produce its flag bearer for 2015,the unity of the party is still a cosmetic one because that latter event will be the litmus test.”
