Kwara APC: Unraveling The Hypocrisy Of Otoge Crusaders

By David Titiloye

2019 will be remembered as the year in which Nigeria, particularly Kwara state witnessed the most dishonest and hypocritical campaign ever in our nation’s history.

A group of people hired a political strategy and media group reputed as of one of the foremost political mercenaries in Africa to set a deceptive narrative that our state was in political captivity and they were set to give us freedom while promising us an El dorado (legendary city of Gold) using the mantra “Otoge”.

Unfortunately, as evidenced by the reason ponzi and pyramid schemes continues to thrive in Nigeria despite the failures of MMM, Racksterli and others, these group of people known as Otoge crusaders preyed on the innocence of Kwarans and our inclination towards quick prosperity that defies the natural order of time and process.

We accepted their idea of Kwara becoming an El Dorado city with promises of paradise on earth, vast riches and abundant opportunities.

Little did we know that scholars, historians and archaeologists have long discovered that the legendary city called El Dorado never existed, it was all a fable and a myth, this is infact what Otoge has become in Kwara state, a *fable and a myth*; promises without delivery, many words devoid of substance, posturing without commensurate action.

The same things they vilified Saraki and PDP for has become the order of the day in less than 4 years of been in government. Injustice, incompetence, impunity has become entrenched in the governance of our dear state.

Three years after the 2019 elections, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is yet to transition to being a governor and an administrator, he has rather chosen to remain a politician who has turned the government house to his political fiefdom. He started off with a vindictive mission against Saraki (which was assumed to be politically permissible) and then proceeded to political-infighting with those who brought him into government hence kicking them to another party.

I took no interest in his shenanigans until June 9, 2022 when his penchant for injustice spread into Kwara South in cahoots with my representative, Hon. Tunji Olawuyi aka Ajuloopin.

Ajuloopin,who after failing to deliver on his mandate to Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Irepodun/Isin constituency assumed he was much lesser a failure than Senator Oyelola Ashiru and decided to wrestle him to Kwara South senatorial ticket, where he lost shamefully.

As a dishonorable person that he is, rather than accepting his defeat gracefully and congratulate the winner, he concocted lies about certain delegates not being allowed to vote and was pushing for a rerun with impending court cases.

After realizing his dream was fast becoming a hopeless venture, he chose to connive with the governor and the leadership of the party by ordering for a rerun for the Rep. ticket in which C.O Adebayo had been declared as the legitimate winner with other contestants congratulating him for winning an election that was fair and transparent.

This was the same template AbdulRahman deployed across all constituencies in the state by giving the party tickets to his stooges thereby becoming a first time governor assuming the status of a godfather.

Please help me ask AbdulRahman and Ajuloopin how someone who contested in the senatorial primary for Kwara South managed to participate in a rerun for the HOR election that already had a winner?, when was he screened?, where are the reports or petitions that the initial primary was marred by irregularities?

This is the injustice and impunity that has characterized the APC government in Kwara state and I urged all Kwarans and Kwara Southerners to resist these chalartans who have no regard for rule of law and legitimate processes.

If they can perpetrate such injustice against their party member who is a notable figure in the society, imagine the fate of an average Kwaran.

Resist your oppressors!!

The Lesser Evil

By Abdullateef Ishowo

The phrase, the lesser of two evils is derived from an Islamic maxim—-….Akhafu ddararaen.(أخف الضررين). It is also from a concept put forth by Thomas à Kempis in the early 1400s in his work “Imitation of Christ: of two evils, the lesser is always to be chosen”. That is, in two poor choices, the somewhat less unpleasant is selected.

At the moment, Nigeria is presented with two evils to make the less unpleasant choice comes 2023 general election. The question now is, who’s the lesser evil between Atiku and Tinubu? And in this case, the proverbial known devil is better than unknown angel doesn’t come to play. Both are known devils, they’ve paid their dues in their different paths  to Nigeria’s political development and there’s no unknown angel between the duo. They’re known devils.

Make no mistake about it, it’s either Abubakar Atiku, the Waziri of Adamawa or Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Lion of Bourdillon in 2023; God spares theirs’ and ours’ lives. There would be no third force. Any other force would be a product of either of the two major forces. And this isn’t peculiar to Nigeria; of all the political parties in the US, it’s either Democratic or the Republican. In Britain, it’s either Labour or the Conservative.

The difference,however,is that, political parties in the two mentioned developed nations are ideologically rooted, and the consistent exchange of baton between the Democrats and Republicans in the US has always been based on ideological stand and development of the US.

Like in the Great Britain and US, Nigerians are going to vote along party lines in 2023. Forget about the neutrality posture of many insincere Nigerians, we’re all political animals and all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

However, while the choice of many electorates in the US and Britain are either based on the manifestos of the party of choice or long standing ideological position of the party that has made certain electorate to stay-glued to it, in Nigeria, people vote for a political party because of ethnic, religion or monetary factor. And once again in the nation’s political life, these three factors are going to determine who emerges between Atiku and Tinubu comes 2023 general election.

For instance, PDP is hoping for a bloc votes from the northern part of the country because of the emergence of Atiku as its flag bearer while APC hopes to secure a bloc votes from the South (especially South West) because of the emergence of Tinubu as the party flag bearer. Hence, the  new ’emilokan’ slogan (courtesy of Tinubu) or it’s the turn of my region is likely to play a major role in the coming election.

The southerners feel it’s their turn by virtue of Buhari, the current president who’s completing his second term in office, is from the northwestern part of the country. Northerners on the other hand feel it’s their turn because since the return of democracy back to the country in 1999, southerners have spent more years in office than their northern counterparts (ten as against fourteen years).

Religion is equally going to play a major role in who becomes the sixteenth commander-in-chief of Nigerian Armed Forces. For instance, the search has commenced in the two major parties on which of the two major regions should the running mates of their flag bearers come from. Islam or Christianity? No one is even considering paganism; the religion of our forefathers! Are the two major religions not products of colonialism? Islam from the Arabian contact with Africa and Christianity from the British.

Between the two parties, of particular interest is APC, whose flag bearer is from the southwest.

As a Fulani Muslim, while Atiku is at no qualms in selecting the religious and/or ethnic background of his running mate, Tinubu might have little difficulty in choosing a running mate. The reason isn’t farfetched, Atiku is a Muslim Fulani man from the Northeast who’s expected to choose a Christian southerner. Most likely from the Southeast or South-South. Tinubu, a Muslim south westerner,  on the other hand may have to choose from the North.

Now, judging by the ethnic and religious consciousness of the North, would he choose a Muslim or Christian? Should he settles for a Muslim and flag a Muslim-Muslim candidacy, he should prepare for media war from the south. Should he select a Christian Northerner who are minority, he stands the risk of loosing the votes of the Northern Muslims, who are majority.

Money will equally play a major role in who becomes the next president. The reported activities in the primary elections of both PDP and APC is an eloquent testimony to this fact. The kind of money that exchanged hands between aspirants and delegates and between aspirants and aspirants, as reported, was nothing but national embarrassment.

Besides, they’ve not even started spending. Politics in Nigeria is capital intensive. You must invest well to reap huge. That’s why they laugh whenever we complain on their lack of performance. Both candidates have gotten enough to throw around during electioneering. After all, ‘owo abu l’afin s’abu l’alejo’.

Forget about Tinubu winning the APC primary on what he had previously invested in people. Those he invested on weren’t there for him during the primary. It was the new people money recruited that won the election for him. Same with Atiku. Both had made, empowered and invested in a lot of people in the past.

Hence, their formidable structures across the country. Unfortunately, while the delegates at the convention smiled home, Nigerians remain in pain as national security and economy worsen.

Ironically, these are same men Nigerians expected to introduce a change that will usher in a new Nigeria. I doubt they have anything new to offer. That’s why none of them has come up with a reasonable blue print that can tackle the numerous challenges facing the country. For instance, the nation is in dare need of a 21st Century leader to tackle the challenges facing economy, power, security, education and other sectors. How do you intend to diversify the economy and take the country out of its mono-economic status?

I didn’t support Tinubu and never wanted him to emerge at the APC primary, just as I never wanted Atiku to emerge in PDP. I preferred the latter in 2019, not 2023. How can we have brilliant and energetic younger aspirants in both parties and still be happy with these two old men? They’re not only old, they’re weak.

I would’ve preferred any of Yemi Osinbajo, Bukola Saraki, Peter Obi, Raji Fashola, Babagana Zulum or Rotimi Amaechi. Sadly, by the time either Atiku or Tinubu completes 8 years in office, these set of men would’ve become old too, and we began to clamour for one of them again. Democracy or  gerontocracy?

What moral justification would either of the two men have to embark on corruption war? They’ve for a long time been around the corridor of power with access to our collective patrimony to want to disengage now. They’ve formed ‘padi padi’ clique among themselves and it would be very difficult to brake away from the cult.

Unfortunately, one of them has to emerge comes 2023 as the sixteenth president of this nation. The question now is, who is the lesser evil between the two? Atiku or Tinubu? That’s left for the electorates to decide.

Abdullateef Ishowo,  an author and development analyst, writes from Ilorin
ishowo2006@yahoo.com