Dele Belgore and Lai Mohammed
POLITICAL opposition is alien to Kwara State in
recent times. Political power had been with the Sarakis, and the
loyalists of the political dynasty led by the now late Waziri of Ilorin,
Dr Olusola Saraki, until the rise of opposition in the likes of Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) during the 2011 elections.
Some persons believe the ACN tried to create an impact in the state by capitalising on the rift in the Saraki camp at that time. The party painted an impression of a promising opposition as it clinched two seats in the state House of Assembly and won one local government chairmanship position out of 16 in the state.
The party took the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which won the 2011 governorship election to court, but lost. The Local Government Election Petition Tribunal also nullified the seat won by the ACN in Offa local government area. The case is still in the appellate court.
However, while observers expect that the main opposition in Kwara would be preparing for next general election to improve on its previous performance its members had seemingly left the stage.
To compound what is been viewed as digging one’s grave in highly volatile political environment, particularly for the opposition camp, the members are embroiled in ego tripping, intra-party squabbles and tribal sentiments, thereby creating stumbling blocks to its chances in next elections in the state.
As at now, the battle for 2015 governorship race in Kwara is now being fought along tribal lines between the Kwara South and Kwara Central senatorial districts and particularly among likely contestants in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Nigerian Tribune gathered from sources in the Kwara ACN that the politicians from the Kwara South senatorial district are claiming that they brought ACN to the state and would not accept any monopolisation of the seat by another section of the state.
It was also gathered that the Kwara South people are also claiming it was the political exigency of the 2011 governorship race that necessitated the choice of Dele Belgore from Kwara Central senatorial district over other qualified choices from the area.
A reliable source in the state chapter of the ACN also said that the national leadership of the party was no longer comfortable with the politics of its last governorship candidate, saying that he seemed too ambitious.
The source, which said that the Kwara ACN chairman, Kayode Olawepo is backing its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in the fight for 2015 governorship ticket, pointed out that the two party leaders are from Kwara South, alleging that Belgore wanted to reap where he had not sowed.
A prominent chieftain of the ACN in Kwara South confided in the Nigerian Tribune that the problem with the party was borne out of personal ego and ambition.
He said Mohammed, “is not really interested in becoming the party’s governorship standard bearer in 2015, but wants to be in total control of the party.
“He may not want Belgore even if the party decides that the governorship candidate should come from Kwara Central
“Lai is also very jittery should the control of the party get out of his hand and his leadership is not helpful to the development of the ACN in Kwara state.”
The source, who pleaded anonymity, however said that both Mohammed and Belgore were trying to normalise their relationship. The party hierarchy is also intervening in the crisis to save the situation.
On Thursday, December 20, 2012, operatives of the state police command arrested some leaders of the ACN in the state following a petition against them by the state chairman of the party, Mr. Kayode Olawepo.
They were picked up by men of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) because their names were prominent on the petition by Olawepo, who had accused them of alleged anti-party activities and threat to the peace of the party.
One of the allegedly arrested ACN leaders, former chief whip of the state House of Assembly, Chief Iyiola Oyedepo dismissed the petition and his arrest as mere politicking, saying there was no problem at all.
The arrest came just as a group Kwara Change Initiative (ACN) called on warring groups within the party to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the overall development of the party. The one page statement was signed by the group’s secretary, Comrade Adewale Adefila.
The statement argued that those responsible for the current negative publicity the party was receiving in the state might be working for the ruling party or be driven by negative ambition.
“We are compelled by the recent developments within the party to prevail on all the warring sides to sheathe their swords. It is an open secret that the skirmishes currently experienced by the party in the Kwara Central Senatorial District and Isin local government area in the Kwara South Senatorial District are traceable to wild ambition.
“It is not a crime to nurse an ambition and pursue it legitimately but it will be inimical to the progress of the party when individuals pursue ambitions inordinately, not minding the extent of damage such pursuit might cause. We regret the unfortunate turn of events since the registration exercise started in Kwara State, what is there in mere registration of bona fide members of the party?
In his petition that led to Thursday arrest, Olawepo had alleged that Oyedepo and others were members of a group called “Stakeholders” which the petitioner claimed was illegal within the party’s structure, adding that members of the group had allegedly done everything they could to destabilize the party. They were also alleged to have collected unused registration materials from the ACN headquarters to conduct a registration that was not sanctioned by the party.
They were also alleged to have illegally dissolved caretaker committees of the party at both local government and ward levels and allegedly replaced same with their own men in contravention of the position of the national headquarters of the party.
The crisis rocking the party is believed to be the outcome of the leadership tussle between Alhaji Mohammed and its gubernatorial candidate in the last election, Mr Belgore.
Supporters of each faction have not failed to point accusing fingers at the other side for the lingering crisis. There are those who believe that Mohammed is preparing to take over the party structure ahead of the 2015 election, a development the Belgore group are said to be resisting because it will truncate his possible chances of contesting the next election.
However Rafiu Ajakaiye, spokesman for Belgore, has denied the claims. He said in a statement: “I can tell you that the party remains very much intact. Alhaji Lai Mohammed and MDB (SAN) talk every day on how to move the party forward. But we leave people, as it is typical in politics, to speculate all they want. We are not ruling out the possibility of sponsorship of negative reports for reasons you know too well. They can go as far as spreading rumours of non-existent fracas to cause disaffection. But the party remains intact and the leadership forever cordial.”
NigerianTribune
Some persons believe the ACN tried to create an impact in the state by capitalising on the rift in the Saraki camp at that time. The party painted an impression of a promising opposition as it clinched two seats in the state House of Assembly and won one local government chairmanship position out of 16 in the state.
The party took the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which won the 2011 governorship election to court, but lost. The Local Government Election Petition Tribunal also nullified the seat won by the ACN in Offa local government area. The case is still in the appellate court.
However, while observers expect that the main opposition in Kwara would be preparing for next general election to improve on its previous performance its members had seemingly left the stage.
To compound what is been viewed as digging one’s grave in highly volatile political environment, particularly for the opposition camp, the members are embroiled in ego tripping, intra-party squabbles and tribal sentiments, thereby creating stumbling blocks to its chances in next elections in the state.
As at now, the battle for 2015 governorship race in Kwara is now being fought along tribal lines between the Kwara South and Kwara Central senatorial districts and particularly among likely contestants in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Nigerian Tribune gathered from sources in the Kwara ACN that the politicians from the Kwara South senatorial district are claiming that they brought ACN to the state and would not accept any monopolisation of the seat by another section of the state.
It was also gathered that the Kwara South people are also claiming it was the political exigency of the 2011 governorship race that necessitated the choice of Dele Belgore from Kwara Central senatorial district over other qualified choices from the area.
A reliable source in the state chapter of the ACN also said that the national leadership of the party was no longer comfortable with the politics of its last governorship candidate, saying that he seemed too ambitious.
The source, which said that the Kwara ACN chairman, Kayode Olawepo is backing its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in the fight for 2015 governorship ticket, pointed out that the two party leaders are from Kwara South, alleging that Belgore wanted to reap where he had not sowed.
A prominent chieftain of the ACN in Kwara South confided in the Nigerian Tribune that the problem with the party was borne out of personal ego and ambition.
He said Mohammed, “is not really interested in becoming the party’s governorship standard bearer in 2015, but wants to be in total control of the party.
“He may not want Belgore even if the party decides that the governorship candidate should come from Kwara Central
“Lai is also very jittery should the control of the party get out of his hand and his leadership is not helpful to the development of the ACN in Kwara state.”
The source, who pleaded anonymity, however said that both Mohammed and Belgore were trying to normalise their relationship. The party hierarchy is also intervening in the crisis to save the situation.
On Thursday, December 20, 2012, operatives of the state police command arrested some leaders of the ACN in the state following a petition against them by the state chairman of the party, Mr. Kayode Olawepo.
They were picked up by men of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) because their names were prominent on the petition by Olawepo, who had accused them of alleged anti-party activities and threat to the peace of the party.
One of the allegedly arrested ACN leaders, former chief whip of the state House of Assembly, Chief Iyiola Oyedepo dismissed the petition and his arrest as mere politicking, saying there was no problem at all.
The arrest came just as a group Kwara Change Initiative (ACN) called on warring groups within the party to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the overall development of the party. The one page statement was signed by the group’s secretary, Comrade Adewale Adefila.
The statement argued that those responsible for the current negative publicity the party was receiving in the state might be working for the ruling party or be driven by negative ambition.
“We are compelled by the recent developments within the party to prevail on all the warring sides to sheathe their swords. It is an open secret that the skirmishes currently experienced by the party in the Kwara Central Senatorial District and Isin local government area in the Kwara South Senatorial District are traceable to wild ambition.
“It is not a crime to nurse an ambition and pursue it legitimately but it will be inimical to the progress of the party when individuals pursue ambitions inordinately, not minding the extent of damage such pursuit might cause. We regret the unfortunate turn of events since the registration exercise started in Kwara State, what is there in mere registration of bona fide members of the party?
In his petition that led to Thursday arrest, Olawepo had alleged that Oyedepo and others were members of a group called “Stakeholders” which the petitioner claimed was illegal within the party’s structure, adding that members of the group had allegedly done everything they could to destabilize the party. They were also alleged to have collected unused registration materials from the ACN headquarters to conduct a registration that was not sanctioned by the party.
They were also alleged to have illegally dissolved caretaker committees of the party at both local government and ward levels and allegedly replaced same with their own men in contravention of the position of the national headquarters of the party.
The crisis rocking the party is believed to be the outcome of the leadership tussle between Alhaji Mohammed and its gubernatorial candidate in the last election, Mr Belgore.
Supporters of each faction have not failed to point accusing fingers at the other side for the lingering crisis. There are those who believe that Mohammed is preparing to take over the party structure ahead of the 2015 election, a development the Belgore group are said to be resisting because it will truncate his possible chances of contesting the next election.
However Rafiu Ajakaiye, spokesman for Belgore, has denied the claims. He said in a statement: “I can tell you that the party remains very much intact. Alhaji Lai Mohammed and MDB (SAN) talk every day on how to move the party forward. But we leave people, as it is typical in politics, to speculate all they want. We are not ruling out the possibility of sponsorship of negative reports for reasons you know too well. They can go as far as spreading rumours of non-existent fracas to cause disaffection. But the party remains intact and the leadership forever cordial.”
NigerianTribune
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