Exclusive: 2019: Magajis, Alanguas commence move to unite Saraki, Emirate indigenes
*Meet Baraje, Prof Oba, ex-minister, Prof Suleiman
*Moshood Mustapha, Sobi FM boss, others in pipeline
By Mumini AbdulKareem
The Magajis and Alanguas Forum in Kwara State has commenced move to unite the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and other indigenes of the emirate before the 2019 general elections, National Pilot can report.
To this end, the forum which comprised of over 800 community heads across local governments in Kwara Central and Kwara North has met with top politicians who are indigenes of the emirate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to findings by this reporter, the reconciliation train which has already met with former chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Prof. Shuaib Oba AbdulRaheem, former minister of National Planning, Prof Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman and former PDP Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje amongst others will also meet with other prominent indigenes of the emirate in other political parties active in the state especially the gubernatorial aspirants.
Former member of the House of Representatives for Ilorin West/Asa, Hon Moshood Mustapha and the proprietor of Sobi FM, Lukman Mustapha have also been pencilled down for visitation by the forum this week.
The audience with Prof Oba which took place at his Adewole residence in Ilorin on Friday, that of Prof Suleiman and Baraje were said to be “favourable”, it was gathered.
The development is coming on the heels of alleged divisive comments from the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed following the fallout of penultimate weekend’s bye-election for Irepodun/Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Isin federal constituency in Kwara South.
Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the APC candidate, Alhaji Raheem Olawuyi (Ajulo-Opin) winner of the election, the PDP rejected the result describing it as day light robbery and rape on the nation’s democracy over alleged intimidation and compromise of the process by the APC in collaboration with security agencies.
But reacting to the victory in a national daily, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the APC has broken the “Berlin Wall” of Kwara politics adding that same will repeat itself in 2019 elections.
The Magaji Nda of Ilorin and Secretary General of the Forum, Alhaji Solihu Woru Mohammed had told this medium on phone last week that the comment is “tantamount to a declaration of war by Lai Mohammed and the APC have shown their clandestine intention to the Emirate.
“This is condemnable to say the least and in view of this, the true sons and daughters of Ilorin and emirate are called upon to see light and begin to think of how to decamp from the party”.
But all efforts to reach the Magaji Nda to comment on the new development were not successful last night and reply to a text message sent to him was still being awaited before this paper went to bed.
But a top source from Kwara Central conversant with the development who confided in our reporter said the Minister of Information and the APC through such statement are working to divide the state between the emirate and the South using eminent sons and daughters of emirate in the APC to achieve the purpose.
“Yes, the move by the community heads to unite Ilorin indigenes, their counterparts from Kwara North emirate with the Senate President is on as we approach 2019.
“The forum believes in the sustainability and indivisibility of the emirate, unity, progress and development of the state and to also maintain the peaceful co-existence of various communities.
“They view the statement of the Minister as worrisome and an attempt to divide Ilorin, Kwara North and Kwara South.
“Some of the discussion they had that I was privy to before they commenced the move was that, the last bye-election and the coming general elections are not about the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki as APC want the people to believe but about the emirate and the state. They said people want to use the election to divide us and cause disaffection so that there won’t be emirate again using our children (Ilorin indigene) who are APC candidates.
“The forum, for about two weeks have been meeting with some key politicians in the PDP and APC among other parities for them to properly understand what APC stands for and what Lai Mohammed meant by referring to the Berlin Wall. They said they don’t want the division of the Emirate because that is what has sustained us and for them to also support the Senate President”.
“They have visited some stakeholders like former Minister Prof Suleiman, Prof Oba Abu and Alhaji Kawu Baraje and they intend to visit Lukman and Moshood Mustapha, Yinka Aluko and other people in Kwara North that they know are for the unity of Kwara State, which has earned us the State of Harmony, for peace and development to thrive”, the source added.
