By Mumini AbdulKareem,
The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari has called for a meeting with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State following the disruption of the last Ilorin Emirate Descendant Progressives Union (IEDPU) 53rd national conference in Ilorin.
The event which took place at the frontage of the Emir’s palace was reportedly disrupted by the governorship candidate of the APC, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and some party officials who turned it into a political gathering.
The disruption was the first time the conference will end abruptly in its over 50 years history.
Speaking on the issue with our reporter, the National Secretary of the Shehu Alimi Foundation for Peace and Development, Foundation, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona said the Emir will be meeting the political gladiators in the state especially those from the Emirate and major opposition parties; PDP and the APC in order to ensure they see themselves as one irrespective of political divide.
He said the Emir sees the development as condemnable, frivolous and saddening for politicians to turn the palace which is usually a unifying point for the people of the Emirate into a ground of violence.
“We are at the peak of political activities in preparation for the forthcoming general elections. The Emir sees the act as condemnable, frivolous and saddening in the sense that the ancient palace of the Emir of Ilorin which is usually a rallying point and one of unity love and harmony for the sons and daughters of the emirate was turned into a ground of violence.
“The palace is not a place for politicians to test their acceptance or popularity. The Emir will try as much as possible to bring the politicians together and see each other as brothers like before.
“We also want to make it very clear to them that wherever the pendulum swings in the next general elections, it should be for the growth, development and tranquilly of the emirate and the state. Politics should not divide us. There are so many things that bring us together that we need to highlight,” he added.
Last Tuesday, the annual IEDPU conference was reportedly going on smoothly until APC guber candidate, AbdulRahman and a governorship aspirant of the party, Yahaya Seriki attempted to turn the event to a campaign rally.
The incident forced the highly revered Emir of Ilorin, Alh. Ibrahim Sulu- Gambari to leave the venue in anger.
When the APC governorship candidate was called to the podium to announce his donation, against the will of the organisers of the event, he made an attempt to echo the slogan of his campaign organisation.
AbdulRahman was however reportedly shouted down by thousands of admirers of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, who countered him by sporadic shouting of ” Sai leader, Sai Bukki, Atunwa 1″.
All attempt by the organisers to restore normalcy and continued the programme proved abortive.
The security guards did a yeoman’s job before the Emir could be ferried out of venue of the event.
The highly disappointed IEDPU National Executive Council members led by the President, Ambassador Sheikh- Usman AbdulAziz later went into the palace to apologise to the Emir.
The IEDPU’s calendar, a major source of revenue generation for the union could not be launched because of the unfortunate development.
It would be recalled that the Senate President launched the union’s almanac with N10 million last year.
