June 12: Real reasons Lai Moh’d, Oloriegbe, Cook Olododo, others shun celebration in Kwara
By Mumini AbdulKareem
More fact emerged last night, on the reason some stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other state members of the 9th National Assembly reportedly shunned the Democracy Day (June 12) celebration at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin.
The Friday event which had Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in attendance also witnessed the presence of the first son of the late Chief MKO Abiola, Kola as guest at the occasion.
However, there were noticeable absence of top APC stalwarts in the state including former minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, senator representing Kwara Central, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, House of Representative member for Ilorin East/South federal constituency, Alhaji Gani Cook Olododo among others.
It was gathered that among the nine Kwara lawmakers at the National Assembly, only Abdulraheem Olawuyi popularly known as Ajulo-Opin representing Irepodun/Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Isin federal constituency was present at the event.
Sources within the APC who spoke on the issue gave two reasons among others for the action of the absentees which has to do with lobbying for the post and legislative activities.
According to a top insider within the party, the lobbying for positions in the yet to be constituted cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari is now the top priority for most of the APC stalwarts.
“It not only Lai Mohammed, you know the reconstitution of the federal cabinet is ongoing and the issue has reached a high point and our stalwarts here are seriously running round their godfathers, emirs and political leaders in the country and other cabals in Abuja that have the listening ears of the President.
“That is why most of the prominent party members don’t usually attend functions presently in the state. That is the situation in Abuja as at today and it is a very serious one. How will they have time for what is happening in the state. It’s about their survival and relevancy in politics and continuity. That is more important than any other information,” the source added.
Another source told National Pilot that most of the federal lawmakers who were absent from the event were held back in order to settle down in Abuja for their new assignment and the need to make some underground familiarisation before they officially assume the office adding that they also have to sort out issue of accommodation in the capital city.
He added that there is presently no love lost between Governor Abdularazaq and Alhaji Lai Mohammed over the issue of leadership in the party and alleged none support for the ministerial reappointment of the latter.
Efforts to get the reaction of Mohammed were not successful last night as several calls by this reporter to him were not answered. Response to text message sent to him on the issue was still being awaited.
Also the former minister’s Personal Assistant, Williams Adeyeye did not answer calls or text message to seeking for comments.
But in a telephone chat with our reporter last night, the Senator representing Kwara Central, Oloriegbe said, “If you follow the event you will recall that there was a function in Abuja which all the governors attended and on Thursday there was sitting at the National Assembly. As you know, we were just inaugurated and parliament all over the world is not only about sitting at the floor, there are other activities that are related with it. Thursday after our meeting, we do have meeting in the evening and though I was elected to serve the people, it was not visible for me to be in the meeting in Abuja Thursday evening and be available at the event Friday morning in Ilorin.
“Unfortunately, there was no flight, as the earliest one for Ilorin left in the afternoon. That was why I couldn’t come. It was not only me, there were other senators from the state because of the meeting we had in Abuja. But all our supporters, aides and others that are very close to us were there. Physically we were not there but we were there in spirit. We tried to reach the Governor who left Abuja for Ilorin that Thursday but were told he was resting,” he added.
…Kwara Speaker, Esinrogunjo denied VIP treatment
By Mumini AbdulKareem
Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon Yakubu Salihu Danladi was on Friday denied proper recognition by organisers of the Democracy Day event held at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin by failing to properly recognise the office in the sitting arrangement for dignitaries at the occasion.
The speaker is the number three citizen in the state officially and was supposed to sit after the deputy Governor in that order.
It was gathered some of the dignitaries who had already been seated were later requested to adjust their sitting arrangement for additional chair to be made available for the Speaker who later sat on a plastic chair between executive cushions provided for Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.
The Chairman of the organising committee of the event, Alhaji Nurudeed Jaji when contacted refused to answer several calls or respond to text message seeking his comment on the issue.
But a party source said the issue has to do with protocol disorderliness and the Governor might be forced to review his disposition to some of the issues that had been taken lightly.
“In an occasion where there is laid down procedure like this one, this should not have occurred”, he added.
The Speaker however told National Pilot in a telephone chat last night that he had no challenge at the event adding that there was no observation of such.
“I was not standing and I met my seat there when I arrived. I never had any such observation that seat was not provided for me”, he added.
Meanwhile, one of the youth leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Comrade Musbaudeen Esinrogunjo has reacted to the altercation between him and DSS official at the event.
Esinrogunjo was said to have been denied entrance into the VIP arena where most of the dignitaries were seated.
The incident, which went viral on social media platforms, generated sharp contrasting comments from party members.
But reacting to the incident, Esinrogunjo in a telephone conversation told this reporter that some party stalwarts may have conspired against him.
He said: “What I suspect is that there are some people in the APC who are not happy with the way God has favoured us in recent times and they are very many in the party, but I don’t care. They should always understand that as a Comrade, I am at home with any of their actions.
“When I came to the event, they told me that the Governor was around but he is out of seat on parade and under the procedure, nobody is to come into the podium again until he returns to his seat. I said I will wait since there are many people who wanted to go in at the same time. I was waiting for close to 40 minutes and over 500 people were shouting that I should be allowed in but the DSS official rejected.
“Until when two guests came all the way from Abeokuta and they were allowed in. That was when I said I want to know who gave such order. I told the DSS official that if those people go in, while I was being denied, it means the order was not from the Governor and something was fishy. I first forced my way upstairs and left the place despite pleas from elders like Senator Makanjuola Ajadi.
“I went straight to the DSS office to report to the Director who was not around and I dropped my number. When she came around 3pm, I was invited and I told them that I had information that the DSS guy was been used to embarrass me. The director settled the matter between us and later instructed the official to henceforth recognise me.
“For those that are saying that it’s because of portfolios, I am very sorry. I have been living without position before now and which politician has been given position now that I will be fighting anyone.
“My advice is that all the enemies in the APC should allow unity to reign, enmity against personality or one another cannot take us anywhere,” he added.
