OPEN LETTER TO BUKOLA SARAKI: AVERTING CRISIS IN KWARA SOUTH OVER SENATORIAL TICKET!
Your Excellency Distinguished Senator and Leader of our great party, Senator Bukola Saraki, ahead of the 2015 general elections, there has been various campaigns currently going on in various parts of Kwara, Kwara South not excluded however, the drumbeat is beginning to reach a climax in recent weeks. As the race for the 2015 general elections gathers momentum with strange waves of change and great turn around, the question of will Alhaji Ahmed get second term has been answered after you endorsed him, and we are all pleased with it. Kwara South Senatorial seat is a sensitive and tough question that everyone is asking, and it is becoming a subject of intense public speculations not only in Kwara South but across Kwara and beyond.
Senator Simeon Suleiman Ajibola from Ekiti Local Government has served for 3 terms in the senate yet nothing to show as development in Kwara South. Ajibola has not only betrayed Kwara South, he has also betrayed Kwara political structure built by Late Dr Olusola Saraki, now led by Your Excellency Senator Bukola Saraki. Thus, it is not surprising that the debate of who replaces him has become the subject of public interest across Kwara state.
Kwara South is vital in deciding Kwara's election; it has the highest number of Local Government in Kwara state. More specifically, the state is still the scene of an ongoing political struggle between the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress, and if The All Progressive Congress doesn't make right choice, it may lose the seat again to PDP and also disintegrate Kwara South. Already the jostle for who becomes APC flag bearer in for Kwara South Senatorial is raising issues, and for the love of our party and leader, Senator Bukola Saraki. The importance of Kwara South has ensured that it is continually in the eye of the storm with Kwara as a whole which would give anything to bring the zone under its political control. Successive governments in Kwara state have always sought to wrest control of all the senatorial zones.
Once again, the race for Kwara South Senatorial ticket is attracting attention; this time it has taken a religious dimension, political dimension on grounds of zoning and local government population. The clamor for a Christian senator is becoming an issue in Kwara South; since 1999, senators from the zone have been Muslim senators, even though the zone has large Christian population. The clamor first began not too long ago, but it is becoming more intensive. It was brought into the public space by recently by various Christian groups demanding for Christian senator for Kwara south. According to them, “Lagos residents cannot afford to continue with the present political arrangement whereby political officers were largely people of a particular faith”. Your Excellency, please look into this sir.
Secondly, the speculation about taking Kwara South senatorial ticket to Oyun/Offa/Ifelodun Federal constituency is another serious problem. Currently, the governorship ticket of our great party has been given to the fore mentioned Federal Constituency; giving the senatorial ticket to the same Federal Constituency is similar to marginalization of Irepodun/Ekiti/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency which will have nothing but its House of Representative member. Your Excellency, the latter Federal Constituency has more population than the former, thus, returning the senatorial ticket to the latter constituency is paramount in order to avoid cloud of marginalization which can lead to disintegration among party members.
Our Distinguished Senator, thanks a lot for your good leadership. We look forward to your intervention at the shortest delay.
Alh. Ibrahim Ashamu
Kwara South For Change