The Only Candidate That Can Save PDP from Defeat is Dr Bukola Saraki ~ Emma Ikumeh

Former INEC chief, Prof Attahiru Jega recently made a case for competent leadership over strong man leadership. The latter was one of the major pivots on which Buhari achieved victory in 2015, bearing in mind the alleged 2 million controversial votes awarded to the APC and Buhari in Kano State.

Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki

The two major political parties that would most likely produce the next president of Nigeria - the anchor point for political leadership - are Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC). The APC being the party of Mr Buhari is set to give him the 2019 presidential ticket unopposed. However, as things stand, the APC has failed to deliver on its campaign promises consequent on the leadership failure of Buhari. In effect, except the APC rescinds it decision and prevails on Mr Buhari to jettison his ambition, the party stands a big chance of losing out to the PDP which remains Africa’s largest party and the last hope of the common man to rise from growing poverty.

In recent times the PDP has had its political fortunes enhanced by the defection of prominent members of APC who moved from the PDP prior to the 2015 elections. Comparatively, it has a pool of candidates who possess the leadership acumen to unseat Mr Buhari and has gone into a coalition known as the Coalition of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) to wrestle power from the APC. It is no gainsaying to unambiguously propose that PDP has a better chance of winning the presidential election in 2019 than APC but its choice of presidential candidate is a crucial variable in this political permutation.

Up until Dr Bukola Saraki, the Senate president hinted to Bloomberg News that he is considering running for president, former VP Atiku Abubukar had been the touted choice for the PDP ticket. Mr Atiku is very vocal and audacious on national issues and has successfully deployed social media especially on twitter to criticise the present government. But the emergence of Dr Saraki in permutations has taken political watchers by surprise as many expected him to seek reprieve from the constant attacks on his person and office of the Senate President by the APC who saw him as its main adversary because of his growing political profile. His political dexterity awes the politically savvy as they long to have a man of his pedigree and sagacity take a shot at the presidency. He officially declared and threw the hat into the ring to contest the 2019 presidential primary of the PDP when he addressed the #NotTooYoungToRun advocacy group in a political parley with youth aspirants of the PDP.

Without doubt in the PDP, the battle is between Saraki and Atiku; and for the PDP and APC, it is Saraki or Atiku versus Buhari. However, the Senate president embodies a fresh perspective to leadership, which is imperative at this juncture in the journey to development of Nigeria and set it on the path of progress. He has tagged his campaign #GrowNigeria. And I intend to advance the premise on which I believe Saraki appears most likely to be at the helm of affairs of Nigeria in 2019 with a victory in the presidential elections provided the PDP gives him the ticket.

Dr Saraki is accorded recognition as the father of modern governance in Kwara State given his type of politics which is devoid of rancour and acrimony; focused on the good, development and advancement of the people of his state and Nigeria. His political prowess is visible in how he has galvanized Kwara politically; as governor of Kwara State for eight years, Dr Bukola Saraki started a revolution to tackle the problem of food security and pragmatically implemented diversification of the economy, which has remained lip service at national level because of over-dependence on crude oil as major revenue earner. 

Based on a PPP model with 13 large scale Zimbabwean farmers, the Shonga Farms project was initiated and today is a major supplier of cassava to Nigerian Starch Mills Limited and provides fresh milk to WAMCO to produce Peak, Three Crowns milk and Nutricima. It is also a major supplier of chicken to most restaurants in the country, including Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and bananas from the farm can be found at Shoprite stores. Replicating the Shonga Farms model and empowering farmers across Nigeria requires a person who has led such ground-breaking transformation in the agricultural sector.

On education, Dr Bukola Saraki established Kwara State University (KWASU) a state-owned university which did not exist despite Kwara being one of the oldest states in Nigeria. Saraki’s leadership envisioned an egalitarian Kwara state where citizens are educated to the highest level. In furtherance of that grand goal, the Ilorin Aviation School is one of the laudable projects initiated and completed by his administration which afforded indigenes of the state to acquire high tech knowledge in aviation. To be vindicated in his area of education as a medical doctor, he established Kwara Advanced Ultramodern Diagnosis Centre. On the nagging issue of electricity, the Ganmo Power Generation Plant, hundreds of ordinary power substations and some injection Substations were built. These are just a few of the accomplishments of HE Saraki as a state governor. Massive road and infrastructural projects were initiated and completed. In terms of state government administration, Saraki stands out. He was the chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s forum and his good leadership as governor was felt nationally.

On the national scene, the victory of the APC in the National Assembly and presidency brought yet another era of insight to the political enigma and colossus Saraki is. The election of the opposition to the presidency instead of unifying the opposition threw up a leadership tussle, which required a great deal of wisdom and maturity to handle. The first point of consternation was the election of the principal officers of the NASS. The leadership of the APC had its preferred candidates leaving out the nPDP headed by Saraki which was strategic in delivering the partnership which gave APC victory in the polls. The APC till date embodies lack of internal democracy, which negates equity and fairness.

The writer being a keen curator of the polity desired that the APC leave the NASS leadership open to internal democracy post -victory in 2015, which was imperative for deepening democracy in the larger polity. But the APC, which mistook its victory as isolated from the nPDP that joined their fold schemed to shortchange some consequential members of the party. Saraki delivered a political masterstroke which remains an important epoch in the annals of political history of Nigeria, a subject for political scientists and students to study. He brought coalition politics into the senate where he made concession to the opposition party PDP, garnered their block votes, with some loyal APC senators, he was elected the Senate president. Nigerians were relieved. The PDP which was wallowing in bitter election defeat heaved a sigh of relief while the South East which was almost schemed out in this dispensation got a top position in Senator Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate (PDP) and it helped quell dissenting voices. It is no gainsaying to call Dr Bukola Saraki the unifier, a bridge builder and a man who radiates the true meaning of one Nigeria.

The 8th Senate under HE Saraki has been the most successful of the fourth republic with groundbreaking bills and amendments passed while working harmoniously with all and sundry to ensure that our democracy is protected. The Senate under Saraki has passed over 200 bills in all facets of Nigeria as a country such as the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) and Electoral Amendment Bill.  Specifically, as at its 3^rd anniversary, on June 9, 2015, it passed 213 bills, cleared 138 petitions from members of the public. In all the consternations, which have simmered in recent times, he has emerged as the face of democracy recognized by world powers most recently, UK and European Union during the recent siege by Nigeria’s Secret Service on the National Assembly. After the recent siege on the Senate, he addressed a world press conference to assure the rest of the world that Nigeria is still committed to democracy and rule of law despite cynical forces that are bent on torpedoing progress.  

Dr Bukola Saraki is the link between the old and the new generation. He best captures the aspirations of millennials and is an embodiment of modern governance. Nigerians are disillusioned with the current administration but what is missing is the linkage who will harness and galvanize the dreams of many most Nigerians to actualize a progressive country.  He was instrumental in ensuring the #NotTooYoungToRun bill which lowers the age for several elective positions was passed into law. He is Youth eccentric, one of his major trademarks. The other two leading candidates, Atiku, PDP (71) and Buhari, APC (75) are septuagenarians and the desire for a paradigm shift for fresh leadership has never been more than today. Saraki will be 56 in 2019 and fits into the picture Nigerians desire.

Emma Ikumeh, a member of the PDP, writes from Abuja

@emmaikumeh