The appointment of the next Kwara State Chief of Staff is getting twisted by the day following the government reaction that it has not officially engage anybody contrary to widespread narrative going in the state. In this piece, ACTING EDITOR, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM writes on the development and the intrigues that had trailed the issue.
The purported appointment of a new Chief of Staff by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq last week in the person of Alhaji AbdulKadir Mahe has again brought to the fore the high wire undercurrent and political maneuvering that is playing among the interested contestants for the job which is turning out to be one of the most fiercely contested under the new government.
Since the advent of the present administration, there is no political appointment that has been fraught with so much politicking, intrigues and calculations even including smear campaigns as the vacant position of the CoS.
Following the death of the former occupant of the seat, Dr Adisa Logun, as a result of Covid-19 complications in July, his burial had been hardly concluded before interested contenders set out to work with deft and desperate moves to ensure they get the nod of the governor for the post.
According to insiders, many of the contenders who all have connection with the siblings of the first family have taken their lobby beyond the governor’s relations to the traditional institutions and senior stakeholders in the state who have exerted and still pressuring the governor to do their bidding and appoint a candidate of their choice.
Last week, before the Mahe narrative dominated the polity, some traditional rulers and elders reportedly met with the Governor at different instances on the issue which many believe was to argue on the desirability of their candidates on behalf of whom they are fronting. To underscore how the issue has dragged on before the stakeholders meetings with Abdulrazaq, the contest has assumed a war of sort within his family as his siblings – Isiaka, Alimi and Khairat have before now dragged him to their mother in Ilorin to get the matriarch prevailed on the governor to accept the preferred candidate of Khairat especially who has shown strong interest for Logun’s successor.
Although the governor was said to be furious over the pressure from some of his family members on who to appoint, he is said to have some measure of respect for Khairat who reportedly complained to their mother, a nonagenarian, during the meeting to warn the governor and insisted that he (Governor) must appoint her preferred candidate to fill the vacant seat.
While this was ongoing however, it was gathered that Mahe’s purported appointment has the strong backing and support of Isiaka, the former NNPC top chief who has been financing and supplying the funds for the project. According to top inside sources, Isiaka has assured Mahe of an impending “very big post” before now and allegedly bought a brand new N25m SUV and expensive clothes to reflect his (Mahe’s) new status with N2m as “pocket money” to attend to guests after the announcement.
Meanwhile, the other contestants, some working very strongly behind the scenes have started flying things in the media and many social media platforms to discredit their opponents in the race for them to have the sympathy and soft landing of the governor for appointment to the position. According to some party insiders, more of such move to paint their opponent black is expected to continue in the weeks ahead which could even snowballed to attempt to undermine the interest of government in certain areas if care is not taking.
While the position of the Chief of Staff is a very powerful political position in government with the occupier of the office recognised as one of the most influential appointees, the governor’s relationship with late Logun has not buttressed such argument in the present situation with many people questioning the rationale behind the comment that he (Abdulrazaq) saw his late CoS three months ago before his death. A development that many also believe gives a glimpse into how the Governor has been running a solitary administration which his critics have cited as one of the reasons behind the compliant of the aggrieved members and elders of the party. It remain to be seen how the incoming CoS will function to restore the influence of the office or whether the governor will prepare the ground for such.
Now for those interested in the position who have been identified in many previous reports, the game is not over until it is over. At the last count, the number which has continued to swell include the Senior Adviser and Counsellor to the Governor, Arch. Kale Belgore said to be Abdulrazaq’s first choice before he was forced to go for late Logun, the Governor’s Special Adviser Political, Mallam Saadu Salahudeen and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Riskat Mohammed Babalola.
Other names that have also been reportedly considered by the Governor are Prince Sunday Fagbemi, Ambasador Abdulfatai Yahyah Seriki-Gambari, a lecturer of Veterinary Medicine in the University of Ilorin, Dr Mohammed Ghali, Deputy Director of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dr Yusuf Lawal and two high ranking government officials whose name could not be ascertained. However with the current agitation in appointment, it remain to be seen whether the Governor will attempt to look away from Kwara Central from where the late occupant hailed from though it is an appointive position and how the senatorial districts will react and handle it depending on where the pendulum finally swings.
To be sure, there are many questions needed to be answered as regard the purported appointment of Mahe which has caused political tension in the state last week.
Dismissing the report of appointment of Mahe as Chief of Staff, the Government said it was not only fake and unfunded but false and misleading and advised members of the public to beware of such reports.
Some online news outlets had few days ago reported the appointment of Mahe as the new Chief of Staff to Governor Abdulrazaq, replacing his late CoS, Adisa Logun who died in July.
According to the government statement, Abdulrazaq had not appointed anybody as his Chief of Staff, adding that publications regarding the purported appointment of Prince Abdulkadir Mahe did not emanate from official quarters.
“How do people get appointed? Through a media statement? No. People get appointed through official letter and their appointments are validated only through such official communication (letter), identity card and accompanying instruments of office, never through announcement on social media. Announcement is an addition; it doesn’t necessarily validate an appointment.
“Media handlers announce appointment with the approval of their principals, not on their own whims. In summary, the government media handlers had nothing to clarify on the purported CoS appointment because no letter was ever issued or did any announcement emanate from government”, the statement added.
Now why did the government have to wait and allow the issue raised so much dust with considerable damage done before deeming it fit to respond which was even through a whatsapp conversation despite the narrative outside about the purported appointment? Was there a break in transmission somewhere or why was there no emphatic and swift response from the government while people where going on radio, paying Mahe visits and using other social media platforms to congratulate the Ilorin prince over the purported appointment. On the part of Mahe, did the governor’s sibling and his main sponsor Isiaka told him of the appointment? Did somebody from the government quarters showed him any official confirmation to that effect backing the appointment or was there any conversation between him and the governor on the issue? Why did he not put the record straight when his supporters worked themselves into a frenzy congratulating him and what is the thing that gave him the confidence to continue to act the way he did even after it was clear that nothing of such has happened. Or even still, did the governor change his mind at the last minute over the issue and why and will he now return to his alleged first love on the issue? These questions will be clearer in few days time except the governor want to give support to those who say the appointment of the next Chief of Staff is the last thing now on the mind of Governor Abdulrazaq. But still, the scheming, intrigues and permutations by the gladiators in the arena continue and it remains to be seen who survive the “Game of Thrones”.
