It was amusing reading a supposed rejoinder to a warped publication on The Guardian of Saturday, January 13, this year, and a follow up feigned rebuttal on Sunday, January 14, which is strongly believed to be orchestrated, theatrically to attack the person and office of the Speaker of the 10th Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu and His Excellency, Governor of Kwara State, Mall. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON by the usual political suspects, albeit, in an uninventive manner, not unexpected from the obviously failed and masses-rejected politicians.

It is instructive to note that the supposed author of the content (Mr. Abiodun Fagbemi), which although unclassified by The Guardian, making it look like an editorial or political features story, falls too short of being called one, rather it’s nothing but an opinion of the writer; more so that the author ceased being the state correspondent of the newspaper several months ago.

Ironically, Fagbemi until his disengagement was not only one of the prominent journalists who worked closely with the former governors of Kwara State and leader of the Kwara PDP, Senator Bukola Saraki and Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmad, but also an ally and one time political publicist to the ex-chairman of Kwara State PDP, Hon. Kola Shittu.

For the records, Fagbemi authored the exclusive news story that unveiled the Kwara South Senatorial ambition of the immediate past PDP state chairman in 2014 – build up to the 2015 general election. It is therefore a no-brainer to connect the dots and lift the veil the Kwara PDP thought it was masquerading under.

The PDP chairman, through yet another faceless writer by the name ‘Bashiru Olorunwa’ validated the PDP’s culpability in the recent unprofessionally coordinated media attacks against the 10th Assembly Speaker by actually establishing his relationship with Mr. Fagbemi; so much that he even knows his current status and workplace.

Even though he attempted denying the fact that he knew Mr. Fagbemi still practices as a journalist, Hon. Shittu ‘Olorunwa’ acceded to the fact that they indeed had ‘a friendly chat’ from where he claimed he picked his junks for publication. He however doesn’t deny any of his submissions in the hatchet job. Again, while their hatchet man named two prominent members of the PDP who gave detailed submissions in his opinion, same cannot be said of his conjectures with respect to Gov. AbdulRazaq and Speaker Danladi. While fools reserve the right to tell foolish tales, it is compelling for discerning minds to decipher the truth and unveil the folly.

It is understandable that these elements of disgusting kleptomaniac political history that ran the state aground are desperate to get their hold on our progressing state once again, with the transformative leadership the state is currently experiencing, courtesy of the harmonious, people-centric working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government, which is glaringly causing them political apprehension and growing uncertainties.

It is bemusing that the opposition and their unintelligent alibis have consistently targeted attack at the Speaker of the 10th Kwara Assembly and the entire state legislative institutions.

They, like always, exposed themselves with the approbative and reprobative media decoy aimed at hitting up the polity in the state. It could be recalled that a newspaper owned by the same Sen. Saraki, National Pilot, had also less than two months ago alleged that Speaker Danladi began consultations for 2027 elections, even when the report could not mention a single person he had consulted. In fact, the Speaker dignified the opposition news outlet with a reaction that he is currently focused on delivering on the renewed mandate bestowed on the 10th Assembly by their various constituents.

Before now, it was one of those mentioned to be a gubernatorial contender in the jejune write-up that has demonstrated such bitterness towards Rt. Hon. Danladi-Salihu, followed by sponsored social media attacks, Saraki’s National Pilot commissioned report and now, using The Guardian newspaper.

While the first publication attempted to preempt and blackmail the APC leadership in the state, the second, which left so much in doubt – as a rejoinder for/on behalf of Sen. Saraki and the ex- chairman of the state PDP, which surprisingly came from a pseudo, was purely dedicated to attacking His Excellency, Governor AbdulRazaq and the 10th Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Danladi-Salihu.

It is understandable that their ousting from government is akin to chasing them out of their sole anti-people business conglomerate, which specialised in simultaneous milking of Kwara State at the detriment of the progress of the state and its illustrious people. They are however urged to struggle for their selfish and anti-masses political survival within dignifying limits and not in such ways that they are not also proud of.

We also urge The Guardian newspaper, which we believe to be reputed for their editorial integrity, objectivity and ethical standards, to not allow itself to be used as an instrument in the hands of these political desperados, if these age-long corporate ethos are to be sustained.

We equally challenge the ex-chairman of the state PDP, Hon. Kola Shittu to seek legal redress against the author of the content – Abiodun Fagbemi, for reporting their ‘friendly chats’ as an interview on a national daily without his consent, if truly he did not deliberately commission such hatchet media work in the first place; as such is tantamount to infringement of privacy and stop being clever by half.

It is understandable that the PDP would not forgive Speaker Danladi for leading the Assembly that took back Kwara’s patrimony on which the hitherto slave-hub (Ile Arugbo) was built from their leader. We know they will never be happy with how the 9th Assembly under him considered and passed the repeal of the selfish Governor’s Pension Law, which stopped their leader and his lapdogs from getting multi-billion naira bogus entitlements from the state coffer at the expense of millions of Kwarans. We know they will never wish him well leading a parliament that oversees legislative actions leading to recovery of state funds and assets. But they can vent their anger within reasonable limits, without being this bitter.

It must however be re-emphasised for the umpteenth time that notwithstanding the relatively youthful age of the speaker, who was only 34 years old in 2019, the 9th Assembly, Chaired by Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, is undoubtedly the best legislative arm in the history of legislative democracy in Kwara State.

More than its predecessors, the 9th and 10th Assembly under his leadership prioritised the long suffering people of Kwara and partnered the executive to deliver dividends of democracy to the nooks and crannies of the state without compromising its independence and legislative powers.
•Sheriff, a journalist and lecturer, is a former Special Assistant, Media to the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly.