By Dele Moses, Ilorin
An ecstatic crowd of supporters on Saturday welcomed the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, back home in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
The politician came home for the 8th anniversary of the death of his father, Dr. Olusola Saraki, who was a notable political figure in the country and leader of the politics of the state before he died.
His coming into the town on Saturday was the first since he completed his tenure as Senate President in May, 2019.
He inherited the status of the political leader of the state from his father and functioned in that position until the 2019 general election when another party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), took over the control of the politics of the state.
Saraki’s decision not to come to the state since the APC defeated his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election and assumed reign of government , it was gathered, was to avoid seeing him as constituting a distraction to the APC government.
The crowd that welcomed him was mammoth comprising the young and aged and supporters of the PDP most of whom donned T-shirts with inscriptions such as “Saraki we love”, “ABS-Saraki”, “O su wa”.
From the Ilorin International Airport he moved in the midst of the supporters through streets of the state capital to his destinations as the supporters were jubilating and shouting “idera de” (comfort has arrived).
They followed him as he first called at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, to pay homage before heading to his family house along Iloffa road, at the Government Reservation Area (GRA) of the town where a fidau prayer was held to mark the 8th anniversary of the demise of the senior Saraki.
Younger sister of the former Senate President who is currently the Minister of State for Transportion, Gbemisola Saraki, was also at the fidau prayer making the anniversary more memorable as the two siblings were hardly both present at the previous anniversaries.
Other dignitaries present at the event include Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engr. Kola Shittu, former acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, and former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad.
The Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Mohammed Bashir Solihu, led the prayer session. He was supported by the Grand Mukadam of Ilorin, Sheikh Sulaiman Dan-Borno, Sheikh Saanu Sheu and Imam AbdulRazaq Aduagba.
The clerics, in their separate sermons, admonished parents to bequeath love, good moral and religious teachings to their children for them to benefit remembrance prayers from such responsible children.
Sheikh Bashir said that while late Saraki touched lives in all parts of the state and beyond through his philanthropic gestures, he also lived an exemplary life being emulated by the children.
The clerics said that the Fidau prayer should be part of obligations of all responsible children to late parents, saying that it attracts reward from God because it is what God loves and commanded.
Chief Mukadam of Ilorin, Sheikh Suleiman Dan-Borno, particularly expressed gladness over the presence of both Senators Bukola Saraki and Gbemisola Saraki, at the event.
“We hold it that with your togetherness, love and unity, people will not see the secret of Ilorin. Late Olusola Saraki planted goodness, peace, prosperity, in all parts of the state. And people benefitted therefrom. We are assured that Saraki is happy in his grave with what is happening among the children and the people he left behind”, he said.
Also, Imam AbdulRazaq Aduagba described Saraki as a symbol of love and said that the people of Kwara are happy with the children of the late political icon.
The cleric urged people to discourage bad publicity against Dr. Bukola Saraki, saying that Allah has His ways of controlling affairs of life.
“We can all see the difference in what happened before and what is happening now in the political situation of Kwara. Our people, should therefore, change their ways to love one another. Let’s forgive ourselves and accept God’s ways,” he advised.