The recent Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) to shift power to Kwara North that was signed with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State by leaders and stakeholders of the senatorial district has raised the stakes for the 2019 gubernatorial election. HEAD POLITICS, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM looks at how stakeholders have reacted on the issue.
Penultimate week, the leadership of the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came up with what many political observers have described as a masterstroke in the tussle for the governorship election in the state by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with traditional rulers and stakeholders in Kwara North to shift power to the senatorial district in 2023.
The pact, which was spearheaded by the Senate President and national leader of the PDP, Dr. Bukola Saraki will ensure the party’s gubernatorial candidate; Hon Razak Atunwa spends only one term in office if the party wins the forthcoming election scheduled for March 2, 2018.
Other positions ceded to the senatorial district by the party included Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Secretary to Kwara State Government (SSG) and the position of the Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete in Moro local government among others.
At a press conference following the MOU, addressed by the Director General of PDP campaign organization in the state, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman supported by the party’s chairman, Alhaji Kola Shittu, the party said the traditional rulers from the zone as well as the Emir of Ilorin and chairman of Kwara State Traditional Council, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari witnessed and endorsed the pact.
But since that action by the PDP which has no doubt troubled the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and changed the political narrative of the region’s stakeholders in the coming election, there have been posers raised regarding how it will affect the forthcoming election.
For some of the critics of the pact, this will not be the first time the party will make such overtures to woo the senatorial district. They sighted the 2015 gentleman’s agreement which they argued that the party breached and asked why it should be trusted this time around. Although Kwara North is not a region with the highest voting population in the state, getting a bloc vote from there in the present circumstance is now regarded as key for both parties.
While notable indigenes of the senatorial district signified intention to contest the governorship race in the beginning saying this is their turn, both the PDP and APC Kwara Central because of what sources within the parties described as ‘political exigencies’. But how will the offers from the two parties change the voting pattern in the present circumstance has dominated political discussions in the state.
For the APC, there has not been any concrete plan(s) on what the region will get from leadership of the party despite its long absence from power and whether the region is ready for such endless wait is another story entirely. Also it is doubtful whether Kwara North is ready to trade the promises of bridges and development by the APC governorship candidate, AbdurRahman AbdulRazaq for the opportunity to have two possible terms at the highest political office in the state after the long absence.
According to the APC governorship candidate on Monday in Pategi at a meeting with community leaders at the Etsu of Nupe’s palace during his campaign tour of the area., he will construct a bridge to link Pategi town in the northern senatorial district of the state with Bida emirate in Niger State if elected to end incessant boat mishaps on the River Niger and deepen cultural and trade relations between the two states.
He said “River Niger is, for us, not a dividing line but an area of convergence between Kwara and Niger states. We will link Pategi and Bida emirate in Niger with a bridge, even if by public-private arrangement. We will collaborate with the administration of Mr President to build a bridge to link the two states and end the agony of losing our people to incessant boat accidents. He also promised the people that his government would provide jobs for the youth to end their restiveness.
In the same vein, some leaders from the zone under the aegis of All Progressives Congress Elders condemned the pact.
Addressing newsmen in Ilorin, the state capital after the PDP signed the pact, leader of APC elders, Senator Ahmed Mohammed, said monarchs from the zone and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, were corralled to witness the alleged undertaking to make the pact look authentic.
“Ordinarily, we would not have bothered to react to what is essentially an intra-party affair, but the presence of our royal fathers at the occasion raises some concerns among well-meaning patriotic leaders and stakeholders from the zone because of its capability to confer legitimacy..” on the issue.
But youths from across the five local governments in the region rejected the position of the APC elders and described that pact as the best thing to happen to Kwara North in recent years. They however challenged the APC to do same if they are sincere in treating the district with fairness and equity.
Addressing newsmen in Ilorin, the youths challenged elders of the APC from the zone who have condemned the pact to pressure their own party to make similar concession to the zone within the same time frame.
They argued that the condemnation of the pact by some elders led by Senator Ahmed Mohammed was not consistent with the yearnings of people from Kwara north and argued that some of the elders had at one time or the other allegedly personally cornered appointments meant for the zone.
Spokesman for the youths, Engr Zacheaus Kolo, who was supported by Prince Haliru Dantosho, Ndanusa Kara and Dr. Ndazaba Manzuma, lamented that most of those who now oppose the deal were beneficiaries of various political opportunities under the leadership of Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Describing the MoU as the surest way for power shift to Kwara North in 2013, political leaders and stakeholders in Kwara North rose in defense of the Senate President over the MoU.
While speaking with National Pilot on separate interviews, a PDP chieftain in Edu, Alhaji Yinusa Yahaya, chairman, Kwara State Scholarship Board, Hajia Faimah Yusuf, Alhaji Hassan Muhammed and the party’s House of Representatives candidate in Kaiama, Abubakar Muhammed lauded the initiative facilitated by Saraki and assured that it was the surest way for power to return to the region.
According to Yinusa Yahaya who is popularly known as bulldozer Saraki took the step in good faith and if the people can abide by it, it will benefit the Kwara North.
“We have to show commitment too by making sure we cast our vote for PDP in the next election. If we fail, then we have no right to query the implementation of the MoU. I urge everybody in Kwara North to be rest assured of our gubernatorial ticket in 2023 after the first year of Atunwa hopefully.
He said if APC then decide to take their gubernatorial ticket to the region, then it will make the contest more competitive and more interesting.
He noted Saraki by this has action has shown that he is a man that feel so much concerned about the whole state to make sure that equity is established and everybody has a bite of the cake. He is very sincere about the whole thing.
Also, Alhaji Muhammed Hassan in his reaction said “Naturally power is about negotiation, nobody can do it alone, even if we want it shifted in 2003, we still need the corporation and understanding of other regions and that is the wisdom the senate President has exhibited. It is on our people to now go back to the drawing board and start to beam the search light on who will be there and carry all the senatorial districts along when the time comes.
“So anybody castigating should go and read historical books about powe in the past. Even if you carry out a coupe in a military setting, you still have to go round on a diplomatic mission to reach out to other people and all the affiliated constituencies. So what SP has done is a good decision in the right direction.
On whether it will deliver bloc vote, he said politics is dynamic and things change within seconds. The assertion by the opposition that the MoU cannot deliver bloc vote is a figment of their imagination.
In her words, Hajia Fatimah Yusuf noted that “The MoU is very okay which is to give the royal fathers from Kwara North and the peoples that Insha Allah, the power shift will come to Kwara North. It is a welcome idea that is very good. Those castigating it are saying that for their selfish interest. There are so many things backing politics and the game is a matter of calculation
“PDP will favour Kwara North more especially because of our leader and Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki who has been there for us and continue to be there, Saraki has been very supportive on any issue we have whether traditional, political or boundary issue. His party will favour us more.
For the Abubakar Muhammed, House of Representative candidate in Kaiama, “Our grievance before now was that the leadership of the APC and PDP did not give us governorship in Kwara North. But if a party, the PDP in this case which is our own party said it did that because of political exigencies in the past and in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice, the PDP candidate (if elected) will only spend one term of four year for it to come back to Kwara North, i think that is fair deal and i don’t see what is wrong in that.
“Instead of condemning the action, we should applaud what the stakeholders and the leadership of the PDP has done because that is the biggest honour anybody can do for the region. Both parties initially denied us.
“Those who are calling it a Greek Gift and that they are not part of it, what is their own party doing about it? We expect them to equally go into the same agreement too whether they win or lose the coming election, then we can’t start talking from there. Saraki with this action has shown that he is a leader that believes in fairness, equity and justice. Before now, we all know that Kwara North turn is next but if we do not win, we can’t start talking about which zone should take the position. Today, Saraki remain the leader of everybody in Kwara State and he said it that he was very sorry that the north was not given the ticket last time because of political exigencies of what we are going through in the state, we need to win first”, he added.
