Kale Belgore, Wole Oke, Yinka Aluko, Bolaji Nagode, Haruna Jibril, others in race for Kwara SSG, CoS

By Mumini AbdulKareem

Barely two days to the swearing-in of the Kwara State Governor-elect, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, names of top party stalwarts and members among others have emerged in the race for the post of Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff, National Pilot reliably gathered last night.
Abdulrazaq, was elected during the March 3, 2019 gubernatorial poll in the state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
After the inauguration ceremony slated for Wednesday, the Governor-elect is expected to make his first set of appointments to fill the vacancy for Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff, two of the highly sought after seats in the state among party members.
It was gathered that already, many of the interested gladiators in the party have intensified their lobby and reached out to top party stalwarts within and outside the state to get the nod of the Governor-elect, who sources said is keeping things close to his chest despite the high wire intrigues the issue has attracted.
According to top party sources who spoke on the issue, the silence of the APC especially on the issue of zoning of positions and strong agitations from senatorial districts has compounded the problem.
Recall that some party stakeholders from Kwara North have insisted on the district getting the SSG, speakership and ministerial position among other top positions in line with its efforts that birth the incoming administration and for what many Kwara north party proponents believd is right politically.
According to findings by this reporter last night, while party members from Kwara North have continued in their quest to capture the position of the SSG, the tussle for Chief of Staff is rooted among party chieftains in Kwara Central.
Also, some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state especially from Kwara North have also reportedly made serious moves to be considered for the position of SSG.
The Governor and its deputy are from Kwara Central and South respectively.
Among those that are being considered for the post of SSG, it was gathered include Elder Wole Oke from Moro Local Government, ex- Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Aliu Lade and former Head of Service during the tenure of late Governor Mohammed Lawal, AbdulRahman Sheu. Party sources also listed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Service Commission, Alhaji Haruna Jibril as one of the interested PDP members in the state eyeing the SSG position.
For the position of the Chief of Staff, it was gathered that former Commissioner of Lands and Housing and cousin to Dele Belgore, Kale Belgore, former PDP gubernatorial running mate, Yinka Aluko and the Director General, Management, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), who is a brother to serving Judge, Justice Titi Daibu, Ahmed Bolaji Nagode.
Unconfirmed sources however further listed former governorship aspirant of the APC in the last gubernatorial election in the state and son of late Governor Mohammed Lawal, Hakeem Lawal and Director-General of the campaign team of the Governor-elect, Amb. Yahaya Seriki.
But a party source however differed on the issue of Seriki adding that “although many people have been insinuating that he is interested in the position of the Chief of Staff, the mining magnate had told many of his close associates that what he wants is for them to approve him more licenses to further his mining activities.
Although, it was not clear last night the portfolio Comrade Misbaudeen Esinrogunjo is being considered and lobbying for, many of his supporters and admirers have been pushing his case at different forum for him to be considered for appointment.
Last week during a Ramadan Tafsir programme organised by Esinrogunjo at Sakama area, Ilorin South Local Government Area of the state, the Guest Lecturer, Sheikh Abdullah Olohuntoyin Solaaty raised the issue asking the APC what position will be allocated to the Senatorial aspirant as the “face of the struggle” in Kwara State.
Efforts to get the party’s reaction proved abortive as the mobile phone of the APC’s Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Tajudeen Aro was switched off when our reporter called him last night.