Emirate group accused Lai Moh’d, Kwara Central Senator of plot to remove Prof Suleiman as NILDS DG

By Mumini AbdulKareem

A group based in Ilorin Emirate, Ilorin Emirates Elites Forum (IEEF) has accused Kwara Central Senator, Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe and one of the ministerial nominees for the state,    Alhaji Lai Mohammed of plotting to remove the Director General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Suleiman from office.
They alleged that the duo in collaboration with other All Progressives Congress (APC) forces in the state and at the national level, are perfecting the plot.
Abubakar, a former minister of National Palming was a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but resigned his party membership and from partisan politics following his appointment to concentrate on his job.
In a press statement titled “Oloriegbe, Lai Mohammed conspiracy; on Whose Interest. Ilorin Emirate Arise”, further warned Mohammed to stay clear of emirate politics in his own interest.
According to IEEF, at first when the speculation surfaced earlier around June, it did not subscribe much to it following denial of Oloriegbe.
It however said “latest developments in Abuja particularly the information at our disposal about how Oloriegbe is strategically advancing his hunt to remove Professor Suleiman from office is worrisome and calls for urgent actions among eminent Ilorin people.
Oloriegbe, however did not respond to calls on the issue by this reporter and was yet to respond to text sent to him Sunday morning at the time the paper went to bed.
But one of his supporters who spoke on the issue on anonymity denied the allegation adding that Prof Suleiman may be sponsoring the narrative himself.
“Since his emergence, he has never met the senators from Kwara for any deliberation on how to move the state forward like ministers from the state have done.
“Perhaps maybe he’s the one that is even trying to instigate such a rumour because he is not sure of his candidature based on his antecedents and utterances as PDP man. I learnt our Senators don’t have any relationship with him and he has not gone to them to seek anything for Kwara or discussion on how to move the state forward”, the source added.
Part of the statement reads:
“It is important to let Oloriegbe know that as responsible organisation with no trace of political inclination or vested interest in any personality, we are closely monitoring his movements since the first rumours and we are greatly disappointed of his recent shameless moves to have recruited more forces from among Kwara politicians in Abuja under the supervision of Alhaji Lai Mohammed to perfect the removal of his brother from office without any just cause.
“We wonder what could have warranted such a desperate move from a senator elected to protect and promote interests of entire Kwara Central regardless of political affiliations against a man from his very own constituency. Is Senator Oloriegbe aware that even though he is a member of APC, his office as Senator is expected to represent every member of his constituency regardless of their political, religious and or ethnic backgrounds? Or could it be fear of Professor Suleiman rising profiles in national politics or that of his sheer hatred for Saraki and other eminent Ilorites that do not share same political affiliation with him that is responsible for his sinister moves?
“Whatever the case may be, Ilorin is going to be the prime loser at the end, if this bitterness is allowed to trigger among our brothers and this is why as a concerned organization, we are raising this awareness so that our people including The Emir, Dr Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and other high ranking traditional title holders across Emirates will call Senator Oloriegbe to order before his actions bring more setbacks to the entire emirates.
“Oloriegbe should open his eyes to the hidden fact that the grand plan of Lai Mohammed and his sponsors from Lagos is to see that political powers is taken away from Ilorin to Igbomina and this is why they are sinisterly using political elimination strategies against prominent Ilorin Elites with the motive of making Lai Mohammed to take the baton of political leadership while his sponsor controls how the baton will be used from his Lagos residence”…
“We state therefore that Senator Oloriegbe stance that Professor Suleiman been formerly from PDP and appointed by Saraki who happened to be a PDP senate president could not work effectively with the incumbent National Assembly leaders who happen to be of APC when even the former minister had officially resigned his membership of political parties to enable him focus on his job and deliver on national interest is unfounded and baseless and as such must be discarded by the incumbent Senate President Ahmed Lawan and the Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila .
“We have investigated and leant that our Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is not part of the messy agenda Oloriegbe and Lai Mohammed have embarked upon against Ilorin People”.