The successes and pitfalls of Saraki as assembly catalogues ‘sins’

Since his political dynasty appeared to have crumbled following his recent defeat at the polls, it seems the former Senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, is in for a rough time especially before the state assembly as UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB writes.

For the former governor of Kwara state and immediate past president of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, this is certainly not the best of time in his political career. Saraki had ruled as a two-term governor of the state from 2003 to 2011, a feat first achieved by him in the state.

At the completion of his tenure in 2011, the former governor contested for the Kwara Central Senatorial seat which he won and represented his constituency in the red chamber also for eight years.

Adding to his rising political profile which earned him the tittles of, ‘An Emerging Tiger, Leader’ and traditional title of ‘Wazrin Geri’ conferred on him by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, Saraki emerged as the president in the 8th Senate in a circumstance that caught many of his colleagues unaware.

Oloyee’s political dynasty  

For several decades, the political dynasty built by Saraki’s late father and second Republic Senate leader, Dr Olusola Saraki fondly called Oloyee, had dominated the political landscape of the state. Through it, the dynasty determined who got what in the political representation of the state not until in 2019 when the Senate president could not make it back to the red chamber in an election that also changed the political narratives of the state with the Otoge mantra.

Saraki, a trained medical doctor-turned politician, lost to the former majority leader of the state House of Assembly, Dr Yahayah Oloriegbe, who is also a trained medical doctor like Saraki. Oloriegbe had contested against Saraki for the same position in 2015 election but lost.

Kwara after Saraki’s political exit

Having lost the 2019 election and exited from the Senate in June, Saraki had in recent times been out of public glare in the state but his name has continued to ring a bell.

At the mention of his name especially, among the political class, one of the many debates that often comes to play amongst the political class is the possibility for and against his coming back as the political leader of the state.  

While Saraki’s supporters would always argue that the former Senate president’s defeat is just a temporary set-back and that he would bounce back in another four years, proponents of the ‘O to ge’ movement always posited that his dynasty in the state has been dislodged.  

The state assembly Vs Saraki

And in what some of Saraki’s supporters described as a calculated attempt to completely uproot the political dynasty of the former strong man in the state, the state House of Assembly had in recent times reached a number of resolutions believed to be targeted against the former Senate president.   

With the recent development in the 9th assembly in the state under the leadership of Hon Yakubu Danladi Salihu, the Saraki dynasty seems to have come under scrutiny.   

The charity home palaver

In a bold move that shocked many of Saraki’s supporters,thelawmakers recently asked Governor AbdulRasaq to declare as void the acquisition, appropriation and conversion of Charity Home, a property in the state to the residence of the late Dr Olusola Saraki.

The property, which has been in existence for several years, is popularly known as Ile Arugbo with Survey No KWG927 and LAN/G-2071 situating on Ilofa Road, GRA, llorin.

Charity Home, for decades had remained a place where thousands of Saraki supporters converged whenever he was around. There, the late Oloye would address his supporters mostly women and the aged, dole out money to them and most of the times make pronouncements about certain decisions as well as the political direction and governance in the state.

For 16 years, the young Saraki also sustained the tradition until recently when he has been out of the state after his exit from the Senate.     

However, the current assembly made the call for revocation of Ile Arugbo after considering the report of its committee on land, housing and urban development on the property.

The report was presented by the chairman of the committee, Mr Felix Awodiji (APC, Ifelodun).

The speaker, Hon Salihu while reading the resolution of the assembly, said that the property belongs to the state government and should be revoked.

The resolutions equally called for the revocation of the land on which the property is situated and taken over for development of the state and the use for the purpose it was originally meant.

Alimi chalet

The assembly asked the executive to revoke the acquisition of a four-bed-room government challet called Alimi Chalet purportedly sold to the former Senate President in the GRA area of llorin.

The resolution followed the void of the acquisition, valuation and certification of Land title (Right of Occupancy) in respect of the chalet in the personal name of Dr Saraki for non-compliance with the provisions of Pensions Law 2010.

This was part of the resolutions of the House at its plenary following the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development by its chairman, Hon Awodiji.

 Reading the resolutions of the House, speaker of the assembly, Hon Danladi, said the revocation became expedient to ensure an enduring end to all forms of illegalities and abnormalities and to pave the way for meaningful development of the state.

 The House then urged the state government to explore every available legal process to recover the chalet from the former governor.

 Awodiji had, while presenting his report, observed among other things that the chalet was purposely built by the state government as a guest chalet for governors and not transferable as exit package.

Reacting to the development, a source close to Saraki who would not want his name in print said, “What is the big deal about this bungalow? The government has broken into the house and the deputy governor has been living there. Did their report state that the property was illegally acquired? No. The governor and his people are interested in the house and they can have it if it makes them feel better.”

While some viewed the unfolding events in the assembly as a case of vendetta against Saraki dynasty, others argued that the lawmakers are on track and should leave no stone unturned to recover all that is the common wealth of the people. 

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