RE: Saraki’s 419 Northern PDP “Consensus” Candidacy By Farooq Kperogi

 

Our attention has been drawn to an article written by our brother from Baruten. No doubt, Prof. Farooq Kperogi is not only a Prince of Borgu but one of the strongest voices in Nigeria who is known to look at issues objectively but on this one he goofed. We would try to, in the best of our ability present to Prof. Farooq how the micro-zoning came about. 

Firstly, most of the points marshalled out by Prof. Farouq Kperogi as to why Kwara North should be considered for Governorship in Kwara State are in the open. Kwara North is just getting the first real opportunity to be Governor in Kwara State since 1999. This development is epoch and majority of us are glad that Kwara North is being considered. 

Initially, many factors favoured Baruten and Kaiama to produce the Governorship candidate but it came to our knowledge that the People's Democratic Party (PDP) did extensive 

and wide consultations before settling for Edu/Patigi/Moro instead of Baruten/Kaiama. Interestingly Moro people also conceded the position to Edu/Patigi for an opportunity to have an indigene for the first time as a House of Representatives member from that axis. We had no option than to accept this decision in good faith and move on barring any changes by PDP which is most unlikely.

Culturally, Baruten and Kaiama are related but the rivalries between and within ourselves is a worrisome development that should be checked. If Baruten is given, Kaiama would feel cheated and if Kaiama is considered by PDP, Baruten would feel ignored/belittled because Baruten has more voting strength than Kaiama. 

Furthermore, Baruten and Kaiama have two strong and prominent politicians of APC extractions presently and our people don't hide the preference for these two politicians over and above any *old politician from PDP* that may be presented to Baruten and Kaiama electorates. In many instances, the people of Baruten and Kaiama have consistently accused PDP and Dr. Bukola Saraki of repeating the same set of politicians who have not really impacted the people of Baruten and Kaiama. We most humbly challenge Prof. Kperogi to widen his consultations regarding the PDP Gubernatorial aspirants in Baruten and Kaiama and see the manner of feedbacks he would get. 

If Kperogi was in the shoes of the PDP hierarchy in Kwara State, he would have had no choice than to micro-zone the position of Governorship in Kwara State to Edu/Patigi who voluntarily ceded House of Representative position to Moro without any rancour. Our people from Baruten and Kaiama have lots to learn from the people of Edu/Patigi. Our foremost politicians from Baruten/Kaiama should sit down and have self introspections and support the choice of a Governorship candidate from Edu/Patigi. In no distant time, we are sure our brothers from Edu/Patigi would reciprocate this kind gesture. 

Need we also call the attention of Prof. Kperogi to the fact that all the rumours against the person of Distinguished Senator Saraki are false. Baruten people owe a lot to Sen. Bukola Saraki who has never hidden his love for the people of Borgu over and above any politician outside Borgu. Sen. Saraki demonstrated this when he made a Senator from Northern Borgu the Spokesperson of the 8th Assembly and he supported a Representative Member from Baruten/Kaiama Constituency to become Spokesperson of the House of Representatives in the 7th Assembly. 

Furthermore, the road from Ilesha-Okuta-Kosubosu-

Yashikira-Chikanda was constructed during the administration of Governor Saraki against serious pressures from many forces. Through Saraki and by Allah's leave, the people of Baruten where Kperogi hails from, attained enviable positions in Nigeria. It is great disservice on the part of Prof. Kperogi to unjustly call Senator Saraki unprintable names. 

In the history of Nigeria, hardly would you see a single Local Government with four first class traditional rulers. To the glory of God and with the help of Sen. Saraki, Baruten have four first class traditional rulers i.e. one in each in the four districts that make up Baruten Local Government of Kwara State. Prof. Kperogi who incidentally is a Prince from one of these Districts and by virtue of this, is a potential first class traditional leader ought to know better. 

It is not in doubt that if Prof. Kperogi could misjudge happenings in Kwara State politics, he would certainly not have a proper grasps of what is happening at the national level especially within PDP and how Senator Saraki emerged as one of the consensus candidates in the North. 

Prof. Kperogi is from Baruten and by extension from North-Central Zone of the country. We dare Kperogi to compare the Federal projects executed in Daura, Katsina State to those executed in the whole of the North-Central (if any) by the administration of President Buhari. Infact, in the whole of Baruten and Kaiama or Borgu as a whole, how many impactful Federal projects have been executed by President Muhammadu Buhari's administration or the Kwara State APC led Government that Kperogi himself confirmed is a government of mediocrity. 

It is to be noted that most of the allegations raised against the person of HE Sen. Dr. Saraki are not only false but unfounded. Sen. Bukola Saraki is a very smart, disciplined, intelligent, selfless, visionary and popular politician who plays by the rules and the claim that Saraki purportedly manipulated "northern elders" is not only false but a disrespect to our revered elders which should be disregarded. 

Professor Ango Abdullahi is a household name in Northern Nigeria and it is very ridiculous for anyone to claim such a person can be manipulated. Saraki remains a consensus candidate as far as we know. We urge our brother, Prof. Kperogi to reach out to Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and seek the necessary information on issues before he proceeds to make unsubstantiated and somewhat injurious and defamatory claims against Saraki. We are in the month of Ramadan and Kperogi should increase his consciousness of Allah and refrain from spreading falsehoods against personalities for Allah's sake. 

It is even funny that Prof. Kperogi who is in far away United States of America erroneously asserts that Saraki's political relevance in Kwara State has dwindled or faded. This line of thought is not only curious but laughable and belittles anyone who thinks or argue that way. 

Kwarans especially Kwara Northerners have seen the true colours of the APC Government in Kwara State and have resolved to kick out the current Governor who's incompetence is not only apparent but injurious to the people of Kwara North and Kwarans as a whole. The same way the Governor could not manage APC in Kwara State is the same way he has failed to deliver his electoral promises and meaningful democratic dividends to Kwarans. The current Governor of Kwara State is only selectively replicating some projects of the past administrations in a weak and feeble attempt to phase out Saraki's enviable legacies in Kwara State. 

Apparently, what Prof. Kperogi and his likes fail to understand is simply that Sen. Saraki is a shinning light of Kwarans, North-Central and Nigeria at large. He has attained in politics achievements that are over and above what most of his adversaries would dream of. Saraki's legacies in Kwara State would take serious commitments and genuine efforts to be surpassed by anyone. 

Today, Kwara State have a world class/befitting State University with over twenty thousand Students and Staff, a fast growing aviation industry, a world class diagnostic Centre, a leading commercial farm, a befitting Central Mosque in the capital city, with hundreds kilometers of roads that stretches across many Local Government Areas including Baruten. All these are courtesy of Saraki's visionary and purposeful leadership based on the sterling and unmatched qualities Allah bestowed on him.

 We pray for more guidance and protection from Allah for Distinguished Senator Saraki to keep succeeding. Saraki's progress is not a pain to Kaiama, Baruten and Borgu people anywhere. We are proud of Saraki. 

We call on Prof. Kperogi who is our son to join us in the fight to have a Kwara Northerner as Governor come 2023 InSha Allahu and also, to have Distinguished Senator Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Thanks and God bless.

Signed: 

Actualization and Redemption Movement (ARM) Baruten and Kaiama Branch