Between Kwara APC and opposition parties: The battle ahead

THERE is a peculiar political structure and history in Kwara State making leadership of the ruling party to select political appointees and elected political leaders in a rancour free atmosphere devoid of acrimony and disagreement. The political structure, being built upon the foundation laid by the political icon in the state, Dr. Olusola Saraki, prides itself to have existed for over 40 years and still waxing strong in the political arena in the state.

The late Dr. Saraki, who had midwifed entry of many governors, members of the state House of Assembly among political appointees into governance, anchored his exploits on philanthropy, grassroots politics and deep knowledge of humanity and human relations.

In the words of the APC state chairman, Alhaji Isola Balogun Fulani, the likes of late civilian Governors Adamu Attah and Mohammed Lawal, Shabba Lafiagi, Bukola Saraki, and Abdulfatah Ahmed, among other notable political leaders in the state rode on the platform set by the Saraki political structure to come into power.

Balogun Fulani also said that renowned attributes of the late Saraki, among others, are what his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki, two-term governor of the state and currently the senate president, has been trying to work on to sustain the legacy he met in the political

Judged by antecedents of political opposition and the characters therein at shifting dominance away from the ruling political structure in the state, political watchers have, however, said that the activities of the opposition needed to be more cohesive and purposeful.

Past activities of members of the opposition in the state had made the ruling party to go to town bragging that there are opposition parties in the state, an observer noted. The ruling political structure which controls the APC in the state had always said that they will continue to pilot political affairs in the state because of their welfarist system of politics, with members of the opposition parties described as aeroplane politicians who only come together during elections time and go away immediately afterwards, just as the ruling party maintained that they are always with the people.

However, the main opposition party in the state the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has tried to stand up to challenge the ruling party like never before in the history of politics in the state by sponsoring a weekly radio programme to criticise and enlighten members of the public on governance and other development issues in the state.

The programme, anchored usually by the duo of Chief Iyiola Oyedepo and  Rex Olawoye, has heightened political awareness among electorate, turned a thorn in the flesh of the government in power, putting the ruling party on its toes, just as the opposition party is accused of misleading and misinforming people sometimes.

While some activities of the opposition parties are restricted due to financial constraints, according to them, presence of many of the opposition parties in the recently held local government elections in the state was not felt because posters of only APC candidates flooded the landscape with only few of the PDP candidates.

Political watchers have said that the attitude and constraints of the opposition had allowed the ruling part to sway people anywhere they like.

Investigation also revealed that some leadership of the opposition parties sold out to the ruling party most times, thereby fooling their members to think they are serious. They have been accused of receiving one form of assistance or the other from government in power and back out of struggle.

Some political watchers have argued that heightened political awareness that is not matched with election victory on the side of the opposition, could, however, get people wary and tired.

They, therefore, called for sense of purpose and greater sense of determination in order to serve as credible opposition that could stand the chance of wresting power from incumbent.

Meanwhile, the newly elected chairman of the PDP in Kwara State, Oyedepo, has said that agenda of new executive of the party in the state is to win all elections and be in the Government House come 2019.

There had been intra-party squabbles in the state chapter of the PDP leading to factionalisation of the party. The new election last week was the second in less than two years but the Oyedepo faction appears to have upper hand.

Speaking after his inauguration alongside 30 other members of the executive council in Ilorin after a keenly contested election of executive members of the party, Oyedepo said that the task before them was daunting but not insurmountable.

Oyedepo, therefore, called on the executive members, PDP members, leaders and supporters of the party in the state to be prepared to work assiduously for the success of the party in subsequent elections.

Oyedepo, who lamented low level of development in the state, said that the PDP was determined of Kwara to return to power come next election.

The PDP chairman said  hat members and supporters of the party should come together to forge a common cause to dislodge the APC led government from the Government House.

“People of Kwara are yearning for change; they want us to effect the change of government in the state, we are going to change the government by God’s grace.

“The change can only be possible if all of us work together as a team; let us forget the past and build PDP to become victorious,” he said.

Oyedepo said he would set up a Reconciliation Committee that will go round the party leaders and seek their cooperation and support.

“The work before us is so much that we need to enlist the support of everybody, most especially the aggrieved members of the party,” he said.

Oyedepo appreciated members of the party for keeping faith with the executive, particularly during the crisis that engulfed the party, promising an open door policy and appealed to leaders of the party to deliver their wards during the coming local government election.