Ministerial Appointment: Gbemi’s nomination rattles Kwara APC stakeholders

I remain ‘unbroken’ – Prof Oba

Ex-VC’s camp, Kwara North group kick

Complaints not general reflection of members – Party

By Mumini Abdulkareem

The nomination of Senator Gbemisola Saraki for ministerial appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari is causing ripples in the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), National Pilot, can reliably report.
The President on Tuesday forwarded the names of Gbemisola, former minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and 41 other ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
While the reappointment of Mohammed was greatly opposed by top chieftains of the party who threw every arsenal at their disposal to get the President’s nod, Gbemisola’s emergence rattled not a few stakeholders across the three senatorial districts in the state.
Her emergence, it was learnt, was seen as a “popular choice” by many top stakeholders in the party.
The tussle for ministerial appointments among APC stalwarts in the state especially former gubernatorial aspirants of the party assumed another dimension following the reported relocation of some interested APC chieftains to Abuja to intensify lobby.
Kwara State with the nomination of Gbemi was however rewarded with two ministerial slots by Mr President, this time, a development her supporters said underscores the influence the Saraki’s dynasty still wields in the corridors of power in the country.
Recall that National Pilot penultimate week has exclusively reported the possibility of the state having two ministerial slots quoting comments from top members of the party.
The list has however received knocks and criticisms over the President Buhari’s alleged marginalisation of women and the youth with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) describing it as uninspiring and populated with recycled politicians who were failures in the last cabinet.
Reacting to the development yesterday, one of the frontline contestants and former Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Prof Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem described the development as a setback adding that he’s unbroken with it.
In his facebook post, the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said, “The long awaited news have broken, but I ain’t broken … just moving on in the direction of destiny. We must, despite the perceived set back, further close ranks to stabilise our party’s fortunes at both state and federal levels.
“While wishing the new ministerial nominees smooth sail through the screening, I would like to task them, on confirmation, to serve President Buhari and the nation with absolute loyalty, even as they use whatever position or opportunities that may come their ways to vigorously promote Kwara interest as well”, he added.
But Hassan Ibrahim Sani, the Coordinator of Kwara Consultative Forum, one of the frontline support groups that vigorously campaigned for Prof Oba’s emergence however said what played out was power tussle adding that the President should correct the anomaly for the party not to have problem in the state for the next election.
In a telephone chat with our reporter on Wednesday, Sani said they are still hopeful because of the drive to serve the people.
“What happened is a matter of power tussle …if it has to do with service to the people and the nation, we can say it’s okay to some extent and not so to some extent because we can’t fault the appointment entirely. Those who made the appointment will also have something to say when questioned on their choice.
“But in our view, Prof Oba wanted to serve the people and has a record of excellence in all the portfolios he had held from stabilising the University of Ilorin calendar and using his office to massively impact the people around him.
“He also made huge sacrifice and was in the forefront of the freedom struggle in Kwara for good governance to spread and now that it has been achieved, we don’t see any sign that his efforts were recognised.
“We are really touched by this and the majority of the masses are crying because of him which is very significant. If APC don’t want to have issues in Kwara State in subsequent political dispensation, it is better to correct this anomaly because with it the centre cannot hold as far as Kwara is concerned. And in my view, the Governor is of the perception that all his exploits that are being praised by the people is laying the foundation which he can build on without working with other stakeholders or carrying them along, he added.
Also in a release jointly signed by Comrade Kola Jerry and Comrade Jibril Seko respectively on Wednesday, a group, Kwara North Rights and Interest Group while thanking the President for giving the state two ministerial slots kicked against the non- appointment of a party loyalist from their district.
“Nonetheless we were taken aback to discover that of the two slots ceded, the North of Kwara is excluded from the equation. It came to us as a surprise, considering the level of infrastructural deficit obtainable and developmental gaps suffered by the region as a result of an age long neglect. We were very hopeful demanding for two ministerial slots for Kwara and that one will specifically come to the North.
“For us at KnRIG, we are saddened by this development and won’t pretend about it. We deserved one from amongst of us to be a nominee. Our thought on this is that, President Buhari was not properly briefed to know the dilemma and predicament the people of Kwara North are passing through. If we can have our way as we speak, we would reverse any of the nominees name to accommodate one from among us. Much as we do appreciate Mr. President for the two ministerial slots, we have a very strong reservation about the exclusion of nominee from our extraction”, the statement added.
Top members of the party from Kwara North who also confided in our reporter on the issue, last night, said the development did not go down well at all with the region adding that the elders of the party had to pacify the youth to appreciate the two ambassadorial appointments from the region as a form of compensation.
When contacted, one of the elders of the party in Kwara North, Senator Ahmed Mohamed said he was on admission at the hospital and could not make any comment.
In his reaction, the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Tajudeen Aro said, “It’s a very good development and whoever is appointed in politics does not always have 100 per cent supports. You will still see pockets of opposition to such appointment. But that does not mean (the present situation) represents the interest of everybody in the party”, he submitted.

…IEDPU congratulates Gbemi, hails Buhari

The people of Ilorin Emirate, have applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the inclusion of one of their daughters; Senator Rukayat Gbemisola Saraki on the list of his 43-man ministerial nominees.
In a congratulatory message signed yesterday by the Acting National President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Yahaya O.Ahmed, the group described the nomination as a well- deserved one in view of Gbemi’s exciting political career and enthralling contributions to national development.
The umbrella socio-cultural organisation of the indigenes of Ilorin Emirate, at home and abroad, also rejoiced with the former Minister of Information and Culture and a fellow Kwaran, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on his re-nomination as a member of the Federal Executive Council.
While the union appreciated Mr President for giving Kwara two slots in the new cabinet, the IEDPU said it was not surprised with the appointment of the eldest daughter of the Second Republic Senate Leader and former Waziri of Ilorin, the late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, as she has established herself as a committed public servant and an impactful political figure, whose commitment to the success of the administration of President Buhari has been rewarded.
The IEDPU also rejoiced with the Governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, and the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman, Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, on the appointment of the two illustrious indigenes of Kwara as well as other Kwarans offered the privilege of serving in different positions at the Federal level since the President was sworn-in for his second term in office.
The socio-cultural organization however urged the people of Ilorin Emirate to support the present government at all levels even as they prayed the Almighty Allah to endow Senator Gbemisola and others with all they would require to succeed beyond expectation.