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Olododo under fire over diatribe against Saraki

*He has nothing positive to tell about his stewardship to remain relevant— Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim * He’s a liar, an ingrate- Ahmad Ali * statement, an outright falsehood - Wahab Issa * He’s attention seeker, rabble rouser - Saraki’s aide

By Jimoh Sulyman
A member representing Ilorin East/South at the federal  House of representatives, Hon. AbdulGaniyu Cook-Olododo has come under fire following the negative comments he passed against the immediate past Senate President, Bukola Saraki in a radio interview.
Olododo while making an appearance on a Radio programme on Thursday, narrating what led to his falling out with his former boss and benefactor Bukola Saraki ,said he disagreed with Saraki based on the “approach of the former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, to doing politics and governance.”
In his reaction, the Kwara South Senator in the 8th National Assembly, Dr Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim,said the comments of Gani Cooks Olododo should be expected as another election is around the corner, adding that Cook Olododo and his likes have nothing to convince Kwarans for their failure and nonperformance but to keep mentioning the name Saraki”.
According to him, Kwarans should expect more of such lies as the only tool the opposition employed in 2019 was falsehood and pure propaganda against the Bukola Saraki camp to deceive innocent electorates.
“I keep saying this, If you are blessed, you are blessed. The name Saraki is a recurring decimal every time politics is around the corner, and it will remain so for them as tools to divert attention and cover up for their non performance,” he said.
“The people should not even give attention to this set of dubious politicians. In their almost three years in office, they should tell us their various developmental strides, how well they have benefitted the populace to deserve reelection.”
“No one should be surprised with the display put up by Cook Olododo on his radio interview, because he has nothing positive to tell about his stewardship to remain relevant on air but with the name Saraki.
“The people are wiser now, such lies and deceitful blackmail on the innocent ones won’t be tolerated again,” he stated.
In his own remark, former member, House of Representatives and Olododo’s predecessor at Ilorin South/East federal constituency, Hon. Wahab Issa described Olododo’s claim as a false attempt to rewrite history pointing out that, Olododo had served in several sensitive positions during Saraki’s administration of the state but had always been tolerated and protected by Saraki all through the eight years.
He said, “He had occupied sensitive positions for the eight years that Saraki was governor and would be doing a disservice to himself by bad-mouthing Saraki after the latter tolerated his excesses and protected him throughout the period they were in government”.
“Cook-Olododo is only behaving like an ingrate. He served in positions that were very sensitive and bigger than his capacity, competence or qualification could cope with. However, then Governor Abubakar Bukola Saraki protected him and shielded him from criticism while also covering up his deficiencies.”
“Cook-Olododo was always grateful to Saraki and always effusively praised his boss who when he was found wanting in one of the positions he held removed him and later gave him another bigger position. By speaking ill of Saraki, Cook-Olododo is only behaving like a typical ingrate. He is only eating his vomit.”
“You served in the Saraki administration from the beginning to the end and at no time did you resign or have any disagreement with him. Ten years after you both left office, you are now giving a wrong impression that you ‘faulted his approach to doing politics and governance’. This is hypocritical.”
“I also saw that he was trying to create the impression that he was close to the late Oloye Saraki or that he admired his style of politics. This is falsehood. I challenge Gani Cook-Olododo to tell the world if he was seeing eye to eye or could come to the presence of Oloye in the last two years of his stay in office in the Bukola Saraki administration.”
“He was barred from entering Great Hall where Oloye usually met with his political associates to deliberate on political decisions. I am giving all these details because the majority of the youths who constitute the highest percentage of voters were not around at the time of the events he was talking about and they only read the history on social media.
“Cook-Olododo was an outcast in Oloye’s circle. He should be grateful to then-Governor Bukola Saraki who was then pleading his case with the father, Oloye. Cook-Olododo is a selfish man who is grandstanding as if he has the interest of the public or Kwara People at heart.
“If he were to be honest, Cook-Olododo fell out with Saraki because he wanted to be nominated to go into the House of Representatives when Saraki was leaving office as governor. The people in his constituency opposed him and the governor told him to go and appease them. He refused. That was how he lost his ticket to a man who later performed very well as a lawmaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad. That was why he left the Saraki group.
“All these false claims and falsehood that he was saying on the radio are afterthought. It is the beginning of another campaign season. This time around we will not allow their falsehood, the campaign of calumny, and cheap propaganda go unanswered and undisputed.”
“The people of Kwara will hold them accountable for their numerous promises. They will be held responsible for how they represented the people, what dividend of democracy they brought back from Abuja and how effectively did they represent the people in the National Assembly. Nobody will fall for their cheap blackmail”, Isa stated.
In the same vein, the former Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly who was Olododo’s immediate predecessor at the Ilorin South/East federal constituency, Hon Ali Ahmad in a statement issued through S. O. Abdulraheem, Esq of Friends of Ali Ahmad (FOAA) noted that Olododo lied in his claims against his former boss and benefactor.
According to him , “the Only reason Olododo got disgruntled was his inability to secure the ticket for the 7th House of Representatives.  For a party that needed to win, he failed to secure the ticket for good reasons and for a better alternative candidate.”
The statement refered to Olododo as ‘afibi su olore’ translated as an ingrate. It reads, “There are so many “afibi su olore” in our midst and people like Olododo who were propped up based on affectionate support of a large-hearted leader to his close associates should fear for their adverse recompense.”
“It is now a known fact that Hon Olododo and a majority of his colleagues in government are peddlers of lies. But in case one or two people doubt this statement, here is the most recent evidence.
“Just last week, Hon Olododo went to Isale Asa Primary School in Balogun Fulani III, splashed paints on a block of classrooms and printed in large characters the following inscription: “FACILITATED BY FED REP (EAST AND SOUTH CONSTITUENCY) ALH. DR. ABDULGANIYU SAKA COOK OLODODO”.
“The construction of this block of classrooms was indeed facilitated by our own Dr Ali Ahmad, the Representative during the 7th Assembly. The crest bearing Ali Ahmad as facilitator was uprooted and destroyed.”
“If Hon Olododo wants to seek re-election he should do so on his two and half years accomplishments and leave Dr Saraki out of his predicaments.” he said.
Reacting to the inference made by Olododo that he was able to perform excellently well because he was not under Saraki anymore, Ali Ahmad described it as “delusional”.
Ahmad stated further,”The fact is that the only reason Hon Olododo disagreed with his former boss was the reason he did not mention. He was given bigger opportunities than himself and when he was told to hold on momentarily, he was overwhelmed by his own sense of entitlement and left.”
Also commenting on the issue, Kehinde Abdulraheem, a political commentator ,said antics made by Olododo is a scornful remark and an “ungrateful and poor assessment on the personality of his former boss, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
He said ,”It is unfair to see Olododo describing Saraki’s political leadership in such manner. The same Olododo who served as Chief of Staff; Secretary to the State Government and Commissioner for Energy under Former Governor Bukola Saraki.
“Surprisingly, I doubt any of the political holders either under the Saraki Dynasty or outside his political radar has ever had the kind of freedom, power, influence and authority Gani Cook enjoyed under Saraki’s leadership in the history of Kwara State.
“Appreciating the tree (Late Olusola Saraki) and condemning the fruit (Bukola Saraki) is a typical of politician like Olododo could play on the sensibility of the listeners.
“Somebody who stole another person’s mandate still has the political morality and boldness to denigrate his former boss with such uncouth and reckless commentary.
“My friends and I laughed many times while listening to him when he condemned both PDP, it former political party and APC, it current party when he assured the listeners on his calculated move to fly a new party. Dead on arrival!
Just like Ali Ahmad, He described the notion made by Olododo that he wouldn’t have performed like he has been had it been he is still under Bukola Saraki’s leadership as a mere self aggrandisement and ego driven.
He said  that Olododo is yet to match the excellent performance of his predecessors,suggesting that the Honourable might be unconscious while making the statement.
“The simple questions are which of his predecessors under Bukola Saraki’s hegemony has he surpassed? Is it Honourable Wahab Issa whose achievements in area of job opportunities and human capital development? Or Rt. Hon (Dr) Ali Ahmad who recorded highest number of Bills in the whole 7th NASS and the same Ali Ahmad empowered his Constituents with 11 Cars among other Empowerments or Honorable Abubakar Kannike who recorded several Bills and the same times facilitated several projects?
“I want to call out Honourable Cook Olododo to grant another interview and tell us his achievements especially in area of core functions of a Lawmaker. Anybody can do empowerment of Grinding Machines, Motorcycles, Freezers and other items, that have not placed such lawmaker to be the best as several people in the State have been doing these kind of empowerments at level of individuals through their respective Foundations.
“I shall be expecting Cook Olododo to tell us which area he has done well than his predecessors from the same Constituency under the Bukola Saraki’s leadership.” he noted.
Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir a Press Officer on Local Matters at Bukola Saraki’s media office in his press statement issued on Friday, described Olododo as an attention seeker and rabble rouser.
He said: “But for clarification and to set the records straight, Olododo’s comment deserves no response and we would have just ignored. What has he done to justify his election into the National Assembly? Absolutely nothing.
“It is laughable to come to terms with the fact that Olododo occupies a position previously held by Hon. Wahab Issa, Dr. Ali Ahmad, and Abubakar Amuda Kannike, whose performances in the area of legislation, oversight functions, empowerment and job creation for the teeming youths in the Constituency can never be underestimated. What has Olododo done better?
“That his ilk were in relevance then, he owes it to Abubakar Bukola Saraki under whose leadership, he was given opportunity to serve in various capacities with the right counseling. But like the saying goes, the leopard will never change his skin.
“Is it not even contradictory that he held such vital positions under Saraki and never saw anything wrong until now? That statement is an embarrassment on the sensibility of Kwarans.”
“No doubt, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki is a chip off the old block in whom the father is well pleased. He distinguished himself in the political circle, attaining the very position that the patriarch of the Saraki dynasty once aspired for. That itself is every parent’s dream and pride.
“He was not just a former Senate President, he remains one of the best to superintend at that position and is today highly sort after as a Presidential hopeful come 2023. Who knows the man (Olododo)?”
The media aide to Saraki also accused the former Commissioner of being aggrieved because he got relegated by younger and more innovative individuals who came, proved their worth and got the opportunity to serve.
“He is never an item. It was the Saraki dynasty that helped him and never the other way round. Yet, he displayed the highest level of disloyalty to the structure that gave him everything. So it is not surprising his roles in the present assemblage of the disgruntled elements and their association formed to gain power in 2019 amounts to nothing.
“What’s happening today in Kwara APC and to the Otoge movement has further proven the kind of persons each and every player is. It is also a testimony to the fact that Saraki is never the problem in Kwara but will always be a nightmare to a group of aggrieved and deceitful ignoramus who are hungry for power.”
Abdulqadir advised the lawmaker to seek relevance elsewhere rather than try to hide his underperformance with unrealistic propaganda. He reminded Cook-Olododo that 2023 is around the corner when he will be asked to give account of his stewardship.
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