Buhari betrayed South West —Leaders

OLUSESAN LAOYE, OKUNADE ADEKUNLE and YUSUF MOHAMMED

The emergence of Senator BukolaSaraki as the Senate President is now causing ripples in the South West and has further deepened the distrust which the people have for the President MuhammaduBuhari-led administration.

Before now, there was sharp division among the leaders over the role the zone played in the success of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2015 polls. However the people now feel betrayed by the failure of the presidency to ensure the election of one of its own as the Speaker of the House of Representatives as planned by the party.

To them, President Buhari had the opportunity to stop the emergence of BukolaSaraki as Senate President but he decided to look the other, which was not fair to the people of the South West, especially Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who rallied South West delegates to vote for him during the presidential primaries.

In an election that confounded even pundits, Senator Saraki was elected Senate President, while Hon. YakubuDogara emerged the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The APC leadership led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had adopted Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajiamiala as consensus Senate President and Speaker respectively. But Saraki who had vowed to go ahead with the contest despite the party’s decision, staged what could be described as a ‘kangaroo’ election while the majority of APC Senators were in a meeting and with the help of 49 senators of the PDP got elected unopposed.

The story is a bit different in the House of Representatives since there was an election which followed due process except that the APC candidate, Gbajabiamila lost to Dogara with eight votes in the keenly contested election. Though the APC leadership promised not to recognize Saraki, but the party has made a U-turn to accept the election in good fate. The emergence of Saraki affected the House of Representatives election which denied the South West candidate victory.

In the South West, some of the leaders are not happy with APC and President Buhari because they felt the President did nothing to rein in the revolting lawmakers and stop them from being elected. The South West leaders who opposed Dr.Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection because of the perceived marginalization of region under his administration and felt that Buhari would do better for them are now highly disappointed with early outcomes.

The Expectations of the S/West

The expectations in the South West were very high as they see the new government as their own and one in which they would take the lead. Although the South West got the Vice President, they believed that to be well positioned in the country, they deserve to be at the leadership of one of the chambers of the National Assembly. In this, they readily accepted to go along with the arrangement of the party which zoned the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the South West geopolitical zone.

Also according to the party’s arrangement, the position of the Senate President was ceded to the North East. Although the coast was not clear on the issue before the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly, it was believed that the party’s decision would prevail at the end.

Before the last week’s inauguration of the National Assembly which produced Senator Saraki from Kwara in North Central as the Senate President and Dagora from Bauchi in North East as the Speaker, the tension over the NASS leadership almost boiled over. For the Senate Presidency, Saraki and Lawan (Yobe) jostled for the position, while Dagora and Gbajabiamila from Lagos in South West were in hot contention for the Speakership.

As a result of the division in the party over these two key National Assembly positions, the APC went into a mock election which produced Gbajabiamila and Lawan respectively. But both Saraki and Dagora rejected the results and they vowed that they would go into the contest. Eventually both Saraki and Dagora who defied the party’s directive won the elections. The outcome of the House of Representatives election did not however give the people of the country much concern unlike that of the Senate which produced Saraki who is now regarded as a traitor.

What is now bothering some of the South West leaders who supported the emergence of the APC presidential candidate is the fact that they now believe that they have laboured in vain for the party, following their inability to win the Speakership of the House of Representatives. The scenario played out in 2011 when the PDP zoned it to South West and adopted Hon. MulikatAkande, but the alliance of then ACN, CPC and some PDP renegades changed the dynamics leading to AminuTambuwal, now Governor of Sokoto state emerging as Speaker.

Their argument is that had Saraki not sold out to the PDP and Lawan became the Senate President, the road would have been very easy for Gbajabiamila to become the Speaker and if this had happened, the South West would have been comfortable in this political arrangement.

The Afonja Story

The action of Saraki made some of them to go back to history to recount how the Fulani, the tribe which Saraki belongs to in Ilorin betrayed Afonja. Alimi the Fulani progenitor of the Fulanis in Kwara state was the one who established the Emirship and whose descendants now became paramount rulers in Ilorin emirate. He was a priest employed by Afonja but, he Alimi eventually plotted against Afonja to take over the rulership of Ilorin. This historical incident has been on the lips of many people in Yoruba land who were not happy since last week Tuesday that the drama in the Senate occurred. They were also not pleased with the way Saraki got the position. They argued that it amounted to a big betrayal of the Yoruba race and a serious coup against the South West despite the roles they have played to stabilize and fight for democracy in the country.

With the present political situation an average Yoruba person sees the situation as a gang up between the North, the South East and the South-South against the Yoruba people.  Some of the people whose opinions were sought on the street in Ibadan, Osogbo, Abeokuta and even Lagos believed that the South West had worked in vain for the enthronement of Buhari. They argued that the North East which South West members of the APC fought for did not lose out completely at the end of the day as they have now settled for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Buhari’s non-interference

The argument also, was that Buhari should have shown interest on who leads the National Assembly and that his statement that he would not be bothered about who emerges at the National Assembly should not have come at the time it came, because it was that mood that people like Saraki and even members of the PDP who teamed up with him capitalized on, before they hatched the plan to hijack the Senate leadership. They are equally piqued that the coup occurred when the APC Senators were supposed to be in a meeting with President Buhari, at a time the Senate was supposed to be inaugurated.

The meeting according to AlhajiKazeemOmolaja, an elder statesman and one of the diehard loyalists of the late Chief ObafemiAwolowo, could be regarded as a coup against the interest of the Yoruba people, who have been fighting for good governance and democracy. Pa Omolaja who spoke with Hallmark in his Imalefalafia residence said that he was not surprised about what Saraki did as he brought the historical perspective of how the Fulanis from Sokoto used trickery to get the control of Ilorin. He said that the Alimi blood in Saraki was at play when he decided to betray his party and his action caused the Yoruba the Speakership of the House of Representatives.

The octogenarian further argued that, because the Hausa Fulani in the National Assembly saw what happened in the Senate and since they don’t want to lose out completely in the game, they had to grab that opportunity to rally round their brother, a situation which affected the original plan in their party. The elderly man said that, things have changed from what used to happen in their days in the Action Group and even other political parties then. He said no matter what, the party is more superior to an individual interest, while adding that if not for the party, whoever contested for any election rode on the back of the party to get there. He expressed sadness that party discipline has vanished from our political system which to him ”is a big shame on democracy.”

Pa Omolaja was convinced that sanity cannot return to the present political system until the present day politicians learn to obey and respect the directives of their political parties and leaders.

Why Yoruba Leaders are Angry

One of the core Yoruba group which sources disclosed to Hallmark that is not pleased with what happened at the National Assembly election is the Yoruba Peoples’ Assembly, which tactically supported the Presidency of the APC based on the argument that the South West was maginalised under PDP. The group headed by Lt General AlaniAkinriade (retd) in its minimum demands from the federal government includes, a restructured federal government that would enable every federating unit to achieve its highest potential within the Nigerian nation without hindrance, Fiscal Federalism and good governance as well as equal representations with other regions in the present Government.

It was on this note that the group called on the people of the South West to go for the APC with the hope that under Buhari and when they are fully represented in all arms of government things would change. One of the members of the group, Dr.KolawoleAina who spoke with Hallmark said that although they are not happy with what happened and the role which Saraki played in trying to bring back the old order in the National Assembly and bring the hand of the clock back, they are still watching Buhari and what the composition of his cabinet would be, as this would clearly show whether they are still in the same boat.

He was however optimistic that Buhari would not make the same mistake that Jonathan did to marginalise the South West. Doing the same, he argued, would be too dangerous for the country.

But on the other hand those in Afenifere who backed Jonathan are happy for what happened. They and the PDP leaders in the zone see it as democracy in action.

Right now there is sharp disagreement between the leaders of the two political parties in the South West. While those in the PDP are happy and in support of the development in the National Assembly which they say have vindicated their stance that APC cannot manage victory, leaders in the APC are not comfortable with the situation and saw the action of Saraki as the highest treachery committed against a race.

On the PDP side the likes of the Governor of Ondo State, Dr.OlusegunMimiko, Governor of Ekiti State, AyodeleFayose, a member of the Board of trustees of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, Senator IyiolaOmisore and the entire PDP in Osun state, welcomed the development in the National Assembly. Some of them think it is the beginning of the end of Tinubu’s reign.

They believe that Tinubu’s plan to control the country through the back door has failed as he would not have strong voice in the current political system, since he has no grip on any chambers of the National Assembly except the Vice President, which to them is ceremonial. They urged President Buhari not to allow the cabal in APC to control him since the leadership of the National Assembly has agreed to work with him. These PDP leaders also saw the development as a step that would help them to rebuild and reposition the PDP nationally, especially in the South West towards 2019.

Although, the South West leaders agreed that the region has never benefited much in terms of federal presence even when South West held positions of President and Speaker, they argued that there is the need for Buhari to consider the region in the scheme of things as his government moves on.

One of the South West leaders, who spoke with Hallmark, Chief Ayo Opadokun the National Coordinator of Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER), stated that it is certain that as the current power structure of the country is there is the need for the Yoruba race to restrategise, and reassert itself in the nation’s politics.

Also, the spokesman of Pro-National Conference, Wale Okunniyi, argued that the emergence of Saraki and Dogara was a conspiracy against the Yoruba nation by some powerful forces in the APC, stating further that it was unfortunate that the South West did not get the Speaker of the House of Representatives as expected. He condemned Saraki and Dogara for not adhering strictly to the party position, stressing that Yoruba leadership needs to restrategise on how the region would benefit in the current state of the country politics.

“I call on Chief OlusegunObasanjo, AsiwajuTinubu and other leaders of the region to think on how we will not lose out in the power structure. Although, looking at the politics, it will be too early to fault the current arrangement as it is better than the arrangement under Jonathan administration”, said Okunniyi.

In his own comment, a lawyer and delegate at the National Conference, AsiwajuBisiAdegbuyi, stressed that as for now the Yoruba race needs self determination rather than a symbolic representation.

“APC would initiate action towards amending the constitution to ensure devolution of power to the component units. The President should look at the manifesto of the APC, which has the component of the recommendations of the Confab, because the constitution of APC promotes power devolution in the federation”, said Adegbuyi.

Looking at the emerging scenario, political analysts are of the view that the South West might eventually push the President to implement part of the recommendation of the National Conference, which would be favourable to the region in terms of devolution of power and regionalism.

Also a chieftain of the APC in Lagos, AlhajiShataAnifowoshe, blamed President Buhari for the defeat of the candidate of the South West during the election to produce officers of the National Assembly.

“What happened on the floor of the National Assembly on June 9 was a coup against the South West and it couldn’t have happened without the knowledge and support of the president.

It is not true as widely reported that Lawan was the choice of Tinubu for the Senate Presidency during the election. We only supported Lawan as part of the larger deal to get Gbajabiamila elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“The votes of the North were shared between Buhari, Kwakwanso and Atiku during our party primaries in Lagos. It took the intervention of Tinubu who pulled the votes of the South West behind Buhari for him to emerge APC’s candidate.

“If Tinubu and other Yoruba leaders had remained neutral and had not wanted to be seen as partisan then, he would not be where he is today, and he knows that.

“Tough, the president has reached out to us to make peace; we are watching developments and patiently waiting for our turn to strike back. It was an insult and it won’t go unpunished,” Anifowoshe vowed.

Another party member who did not want his identity disclosed maintained that the South West was schemed, out through a grand plot by some Northern irredentists ably supported by the President who looked the other way when he should have intervened.

“If we had looked the other way too on December 11, 2014 when he emerged as the party’s candidate, he wouldn’t be president today.