Liberal Mind

When Saraki is no more the ‘beautiful bride’

 

With ADETUNJI AYOBROWN

A Yoruba adage says adage says “Ore ni won, omo eniyan soro, Ore ni won” meaning you have measure ways and manners you help people, because human beings are difficult… especially as you relate with them. It is like helping a drowning man; if you are not careful, you may be precipitating your own disaster.
But as it is today, we can all see and convincingly note that Bukola Saraki had proved quite incontrovertibly that he is a custodian of such rarity of intellect that is distinctly characterised by power of expression, demonstration and spiced with a generous dose of creative vitality and strength.
If you ask me, it is natural to be jealous, and if you are not a very religious person, you may take that to another height and level and hate the person who is what you can’t be or whatever you cannot have.
Close to two decades of my knowing and following Saraki’s political activities, I’ve always asked myself, what exactly do people hate in Bukola Saraki or in the Sarakites, this is not surprising because it was not better even during the time of the late political sage, Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki.
The Sarakis have helped different people irrespective of their religions, beliefs, tribes or political affiliations and if you ask me it is good but people the Sarakis had helped to become somebody are repaying the good gesture in another coin, with evil. This is not surprising as prior to 2015 general elections, the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who called Saraki the ‘APC’s beautiful bride’ came to Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, he danced and sang praises of this same Saraki. And during the formation of APC as a mega party, they all knew Saraki was eyeing the Senate Presidency, yet they tagged Bukola Saraki as the beautiful bride of the major political agitators.
First looking at the national level, with focus on the 2015 general election results that brought President Muhammadu Buhari to power, in Kwara state for instance, the All Progressives Congress (APC) pulled 302,146 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who secured only 132,602 votes. Our next door neighbour, Kogi, APC pulled 264,851, while PDP scored 149,987. In Nassarawa, it was 236,838 for APC while PDP came up with 273,460 votes. That of Plateau was 429,140 for APC while PDP scored 549,615 votes. In Niger, APC scored 657,678 while PDP pulled 149,222 and in Benue, APC scored 373,961 while PDP almost closed rank with 303,737 votes…all these are north central states. Going by these, it was very clear that in Kwara, PDP scored less than 50% of what APC got, while in Kogi, PDP pulled more than 50% of APC votes. In Nassarawa, PDP won out rightly with over 36,000 votes, same in Plateau state, with over 120,000 votes. Only in Niger state was APC able to come up with substantial difference over PDP.
With the Kwara APC performance, analysts gave it to Bukola Saraki’s political structure for his outstanding performances, not leaving out his personal and financial help, which he rendered to other states….so the question has been where did Saraki went wrong after the election or where, how and when did the love of the ‘new beautiful bride’ turned sour …or is it just because he became the Senate president. If you ask me, I rather say over two-third of 109 members of the senate cannot be wrong making him their choice. No qualms everyone must have an ambition, even President Muhamadu Buhari who had been fighting to become Nigeria President for a long while, was only successful after several unsuccessful attempts….all thanks to nPDP that Saraki was a major factor.
Though, Buhari APC won the election in Kwara, the state under the control of APC had experienced some pockets of stiff politicking from the state’s chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which had hitherto relied on “the Federal might” for victory. Although, the PDP with its apparent divided house then (not better now if you ask me) had believed it can give the APC a big challenge/fight, but many political analysts and philosophers said that irrespective of those behind the party, it would be a difficult task uprooting the APC that is built on a firm political structure grown and nurtured for over 38 years by scion of the late kingpin of Kwara politics, late Dr Olusola Saraki.
But is it not rather funny that in previous elections, with the likes of Dele Belgore, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN), former Minister for National Planning, Olanrewaju Suleiman, former Senator Simeon Ajibola, Prof. Shuaib Abdulraheem, former Vice Chancellor University of Ilorin, and former, Chairman Federal Character Commission (FCC), former Senator Makanjuola Ajadi, former Special Adviser National Assembly Matters to President Goodluck Jonathan, two multi-billionaires, Bola Shagaya, and Abdulrahaman Abdulrasak, Deacon John Dara and many others, that teamed up under ‘the umbrella,’ the PDP symbol, against ‘the broom’ of the APC, which at present is under the tutelage of Senator Bukola Saraki were neither able to sweep with the broom nor even sweep the broom away.
I remember that an associate of late Olusola Saraki, late Prof. Albert Ogunshola, once said that when he looked at the then National Assembly, more than two-third of the members at one time or the other came to Dr Olusola Saraki for one help or the other. But then the question is where do Sarakites always go wrong after helping?
Even most, if not all Bukola Saraki’s aides, staff and workers know and will agree with me, the magnanimous mind and helping hands their boss always stretched towards their welfare and good life, except if their plights never came to his notice or attention.
Not going too far, even in Kwara, the people Saraki gave platform to succeed turned back to repay his good deeds with what they too will someday get back…if I am allowed to pitch my tent with the late rap musical icon, Tupac Amar Shakur in one of his titles, ‘Only God will judge’.
To his credit a long list of individuals that have gotten things done in one way or the other through his benevolence is Otunba Olabode Oyedepo better known as ‘Bode Deway’. When reporters asked him back then when he wanted to be Kwara state governor…being one of the principal loyalists of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and a member of the Sarakite family, he said “being close to the Senate President Bukola Saraki is a special honour for me and being a member of the political family has been the greatest experience of my life. Unknown to many, especially the ‘Never Saraki’ group, he as a leader consulted with stakeholders; he respects opinions and seeks advice from subordinates and that to me is exceptional and commendable, because it does give the stakeholders within the political family a sense of responsibility and a sense of belonging even when you are without a political office or title”.
The likes of Moshood Mustapha (MM), Lai Mohammed, Abdulraheem Adedoyin and their likes at one time or the other this ‘not too good’ Saraki was their benefactor, remove Saraki from their life/blessings and let us count the remnants, if there is any. Those who fought late Olusola Saraki always went back begging for his forgiveness, and I see history repeating itself. Saraki is not going anywhere for anyone, or any group or any camp. Live and let Saraki live.
The strongest belief among pundits is that the outcome of the Presidential polls would determine what would happen at the remaining cadre of the elections, I guess that is why the National Assembly altered the election timetable that caused brouhaha across the political space to allow the popular candidates to win the elections instead of them hiding under the presidential stool.
Many of my friends sometimes ask me, comparatively to theirs, what I am gaining or enjoying aligning with Saraki and his beliefs; nothing, really if you ask me, but I am of the opinion that if you can have two or more of Saraki types in Kwara, people will have alternatives and Kwarans will become better for it. And if others are not thinking or doing so, is it Saraki’s faulty. And my own scriptures says, anyone that repays good deeds will evil, evil shall never depart the person’s house or domain…
Like the Yoruba adage says, ‘Arije ni madaru…benefiting from crisis’… Some people believe castigating or ridiculing the name Saraki will give them the ‘unmerited’ popularity and favours, the reality is it is only temporary and posterity will surely soon catch-up with all evil doers. If truly your idea or political belief is popular you don’t need Saraki’s downfall before the majority supports you… that is democracy.
And as progressive Nigerians, let us shun politics of bitterness, let us identify and correct where our leaders had failed (to err is human), let us make our country better in this present century where ideas and youthfulness rule the world. Great minds discuss issues but for low minds they discuss people and personalities.
Where I come from, biting the fingers that feed you is a taboo; let us assume Saraki is a sinner, I don’t think Almighty God is using you as his tormentors…else you are playing your own script orchestrated by ill-informed manners/beliefs and someday somehow it will surely be your turn. Chikena!

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