Agitation is being reignited against the Olusola Saraki dynasty in Kwara State, which dates back to the Second Republic, as some indigenes lament the grip of the family on the fortunes of a state still poor after 47 years of existence.
Bilikisu Gambari
Among the campaigners is Bilikisu Gambari, sister of the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.
She reiterated to TheNiche in an interview in Lagos that many Kwarans have been clamouring for change to have some measure of freedom.
Power behind the throne, in every generation
Kwara was among the 12 states created by the Yakubu Gowon administration on May 27, 1967.
The first Governor, David Bamigboye, was a military man who rose to the rank of Brigadier-General. He was ousted along with Gowon and all the Gowon’s men in the military coup d’etat in July 1975, led by Murtala Mohammed.
Saraki, a medical doctor, joined politics in 1964, but his power did not begin to spread all over Kwara until he deployed federal influence when he was Senate Leader between October 1979 and December 1983.
After politics, he returned to making money in business. His wealth, combined with his status in the Ilorin royal court – he was the waziri (prime minister) of Ilorin, a city which dictates Kwara politics – made him the de facto kingmaker.
No civilian governor has emerged in Kwara since 1979 without the endorsement of Saraki or his children. He died in November 14, 2012, but his influence lingers.
Bukola, his son, served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011. After his tenure, he endorsed the current Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, to be elected in 2011.
While Bukola was governor in Ilorin, his sister, Gbemisola, was Senator in Abuja, the seat of federal power.
After Bukola left Government House, he replaced Gbemisola in the Senate, where he has been a lawmaker since 2011.
Dominance and poverty
Kwara is a landlocked state, which mainstay is agriculture. There are few industries, therefore internally generated revenue is miniscule. It is poor, and survives largely on federal allocation.
Gambari said many Kwarans complain that the Sarakis have dominated every aspect of their lives, including electoral franchise.
Her words: “The majority of the people want change; they want freedom, they want to aspire to vote and be voted for, which are the things that we were denied, not by the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) but by a particular family.”
She said the agitation was why Gbemisola Saraki was not appointed a minister in the last cabinet reshuffle by President Goodluck Jonathan.
“People do not want them any more. I don’t know if it is true, but when the story was that they wanted to make Gbemi Saraki a minister, the people did not want her.
“They complained that when they are saying they want freedom from the Sarakis – one is already the governor-general, another one would be a minister – so where is the freedom?
“So nobody wanted her, not because of her person but because of the family she comes from. They didn’t want one of the Sarakis to stylishly join them in the fight.”
Gathering storm
Asked if the people are truly ready for the liberation they are clamouring for, Gambari said: “Nobody is ever ready for something that you are not aware of. A lot of my people are illiterate; they do not know what they should be demanding from their representatives.
“I cannot tell you that they are 100 per cent ready, but I know that over the years, a lot of them, through information and education, have come to understand what our politics is all about.
“So we’ve come a long way from 1999, even though we are not quite there yet. Even without our own peculiar situation, there is no politician who will tell you that he will have 100 per cent support. There will always be opposition.”
APC in Kwara
As far as Kwara is concerned, Gambari added, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is “dead” because the reason why its members were elected no longer exists.
“Nobody in Kwara today would vote APC. The APC is no longer the party of change, it’s no longer the party of freedom, it’s no longer the party that gives us due process.”
Difference anticipated in 2015 ballot
On how the election in 2015 would play out in Kwara, Gambari said it will not be about the party but about the people.
“In Nigeria, all political parties preach the same thing: education for all, water for all, road, health; it’s always the same. The difference you get is the individuals that form the party, their drive, ideology and principles.”
