The plan of some hitherto staunch allies of the late godfather of Kwara politics, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki to reap from the left over of the gains of the late politician and the new leader, Senator Bukola Saraki, who is now the leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state is beginning to record some heavy casualties.
When Bukola and his group, including the Governor of the state, AbdulFatah Ahmed and almost all the state legislators and local government chairmen, defected to the APC, the presidency, according to sources, did not take the situation lightly; it was viewed as a major loss and a big set back to the GEJ second term ambition.
In order to assure the presidency that all was not lost in this strategic state, some major stakeholders decided to confront the situation and assured the presidency that it was only Bukola Saraki and his group that have left, that without them the PDP could still survive and win the state for the party and the president.
In the last couple of months, meetings were held with some of these politicians to really find out where they belong. The meeting was reportedly presided over by a very close confidant of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who is an eminent person in Ilorin; she told the group, which included the ex-minister of transport, Alhaji Bio, the Senator representing the governor’s zone, Senator Ajibola, Ex-VC of University of Ilorin, Professor AbdulRahmon Oba and a couple of some relatively known politicians in the state that the state must be liberated from the stranglehold of the Sarakis and the first step was to reorganize the party in the state and reposition it.
A source at the meeting revealed that it was a very lively meeting and the new faces of the party in the state were clearly identified.
One face that was conspicuously missing at this meeting and the subsequent ones that had been held by this groups with the likes of Chief Tony Anenih the chairman of the board of trustees and the Sultan of Sokoto Saadu Abubakar to work out the way forward was senator Gbemisola Saraki, who many believed would step in and take over effortlessly judging from the kind of clout she has and the support she enjoys from the core Sarakites in Ilorin.
The bitter feud between Senator Bukola Saraki and his siblings as a result of the governorship feud that saw to the demystification of Dr. Olusola Saraki and his anointed daughter, Gbemi before , during and after the election, which is yet to abate was expected to shoot Gbemi to limelight again immediately the brother left the PDP, but it was not to be.
Gbemi was seen and treated like a leper by the New PDP leaders in the state, not only on the basis of the blood link with the deserting ex-governor Bukola Saraki, but also on a security report that was leaked to them on some of her activities, while in the senate.
Our source revealed that it was discovered that while she was in the senate, she enjoyed a very warm relationship with Mr. Dino Melaiye, who was then a stormy petrel in the House of Representatives.
“Not many knew the genesis of the acrimony and bitterness between the speaker then, Rt. (Hon.) Dimeji Bankole and Dino Melaiye, the car issue was just a smokescreen, I can tell you it was all a contest for the soul of the beautiful belle of the Saraki dynasty, Gbemi.
We have enough information about her love affairs with Dimeji Bankole and Dino; how it was convenient for her to shuttle between them until the family of Dimeji prevailed on him to take a wife and he opted for a young girl, who lived in Ghana, but the lady could not move in with him because Gbemi was the queen of his heart then and she was living with him.
“We all know where Dino is now, he is a top ranking member of APC and with Gbemi in the saddle as PDP leader in Kwara, there won’t be any need for election in the state again, APC is already home and dry, so to prevent this, it is better to act now and put her where she belongs.
We are better off without her,” the source disclosed.
First Weekly Magazine
