I read an article in the Saturday, January 13, 2024, edition of The Guardian newspaper titled “Saraki: Waiting in the Wings for a Slip to Recapture Power” written by Abiodun Fagbemi. From the title to the byline and the newspaper, there are certain haze around the article. Abiodun Fagbemi whom I know who was the correspondent of the Guardian newspaper for many years in Kwara State has since left the newspaper for the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital where he works in the protocol department. Yet, this article was presented as if he is still the correspondent of the newspaper.

Also, the article was presented not as an op-ed contributed by an outsider. It was presented as a political news analysis written for a newspaper by one of the journalists on its payroll. Thus, it became unclear if Fagbemi is still a staff correspondent of the Guardian newspaper or if he just contributed the article from outside. This lack of clarity about the status of the writer also makes it difficult to know if the article is a personal opinion of the writer or a genuine, objective analysis required of a political news feature article.

If the latter is the case, I will be surprised that the Guardian newspaper which is known for its objectivity, professionalism, and strong ethics published such a jaundiced write-up whose objective is simply to maliciously attack the persons of some politicians and promote the ambition of some others, for selfish and less than noble purposes.

However, perhaps it is necessary to start by saying that the language employed by the writer in several parts of the article demonstrated his contempt for democracy and its elements. How on earth will a journalist describe the aspiration of a politician in a democratic system as a plan to ‘re-conquer’ or ‘recapture’ a state? Is the state in war situation and is the man being referred to an ancient warrior?

For the sake of clarity, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, former governor of Kwara State, former chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), and former President of the Nigerian Senate is a Democrat. He has won elections many times in Kwara State and nationally. He will also still lead his party to win more elections in the state and across the country. He does not know anything about ‘conquering’ or ‘conquest’ or ‘capturing’.

He believes you win some and you lose some. He has demonstrated his democratic credentials by rejoicing on the occasions that his party won and conceding victory when his party lost. Those who are waging wars against Kwarans with poor governance and sponsoring violence against the opposition are the ones suffering from a conqueror mentality.

The writer of the article in question in another demonstration of his aversion for democracy stated that the incumbent Governor whose purpose the article seems to be serving also ‘holds the aces’ on who becomes what in Kwara. In a democracy, the people who elect and vote out a government hold the aces.

In the same manner, the writer states that “the governor is in firm control of happenings at the 10th House of Assembly under the Speakership of Salihu Yakubu-Danladi”. How can the governor who is the head of the executive also be in control of the legislature? Where is the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances in such an arrangement?

Though, Fagbemi thought he was promoting the incumbent Speaker, Danladi-Yakubu, however, what has come to light is that the speaker is an incompetent legislator who leads a ‘ rubber stamp legislature’ where anything from the executive goes through. This is a compromised and castrated legislature which represents the worst of the law-making institution. It is an indictment of the inexperienced and naive speaker. This aspect of the write-up is not a good recommendation for the speaker. A man who has turned the legislature into an appendage of the executive can never be a good governor.

Thus, to say the governor controls the actions of the speaker and all the other principal officers of the legislature, including that of the clerk of the house, shows something is wrong with governance in Kwara State where there is a fusion of powers instead of separation of powers as provided by the constitution of the Federal Republic. That is an aberration. Fagbemi sure does not think much of democracy in Kwara State. Otherwise, he will not be glorifying such abnormality.

The writer also quoted people like Akintoba Fatigun, Alhaja Nimota Ibrahim, and Engineer Kola Shitu who have denied granting him an interview. One or two of them said he (Fagbemi) had a friendly chat with them in which they engaged him because they were sure he had disengaged from news reporting since he now works with UITH. Suddenly, he is using the private chat to buttress his already pre-conceived anti-PDP notions.

From the tone of the write-up, it is clear that one of the aims is to create a further schism between a particular member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the governor of the state. That obviously should not be the business of PDP members. That is what APC members should sort out among themselves. An objective journalist should see that whether there is disunity in APC or not cannot be a reliable strategy around which the PDP can build its aim of taking over government in Kwara State.

The fact is that the people of Kwara State have seen the difference between the two parties in governance. They have seen how one represented development and progress. They have also seen how those who assumed office based on lies and cheap propaganda easily get confused and overwhelmed by the challenges of office. We are sure the people will vote right in 2027.

The PDP has many capable members, by all means necessary, who are aspiring to be governor of Kwara State and who will do better than the current occupant of the office, if elected. Those prospective aspirants are now busy mobilising members for the party. The major concern of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki is not about whether one APC chieftain joins the PDP or not. His concern is on how to build a stronger party with better grassroots penetration and appeal.

Such a party will draw the attention of many old and new players, including some private sector operators who after their numerous successes in business are looking towards offering themselves for elective office. Any experienced journalist should know that this is a better strategy than that of hoping that one Senator quarrels with one governor which formed the basis of Fagbemi’s article.

If some APC members want to run down their Senator or other elected officers, they should limit their internal chaos to the membership of their party and not drag the national leader of the PDP, Dr. Saraki into such petty squabbles. It is also unfair, malicious, and mischievous for Fagbemi to be dragging the name of a civil servant like Engineer Kale Kawu into politics. Kawu is not a member of PDP. He is a civil servant and that is what we know about him.

For clarity, it should be noted that Dr. Saraki is a leader of the PDP and this fact does not stop him from having friends across all the major and smaller political parties. To be describing a man whose achievements as governor and as Senate President remain indelible and distinctive in such a negative manner like “dangerously lurking” and a “political fox” not only shows how decent, discerning and honest, Fagbemi is, it is also a commentary on his level of maturity as a journalist and an analyst which he pretends to be.

Olorunwa writes from Ilorin