Saraki, Akpabio, Akume in saddle of leading fallen dynasties

As the elective two arms of government are being inaugurated across the country, several established political and state actors have been observed to be missing in action either in the executive or the legislative arm of government. This is not unconnected with the political holocaust from the 2019 general elections which demystified several political godfathers and dismantled some political dynasties.

National Daily inquiry found that the 2019 general elections relatively demystify several political godfathers, threatened to liquidate or liquidated political dynasties built over the years. Several political godfathers not only failed to unilaterally decide candidates for the various elections but also lost their own elections. Thus, some of the godfathers were temporarily eliminated or retired from the mainstream political machines deciding who gets what, when and how much from the commonwealth either in the federal or state government.

Significant established political authorities who suffered setback in the 2019 general elections include Dr. Bukola Saraki, former President of the Senate and former Governor of Kwara State, leader of the Saraki dynasty in Kwara; Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwakwansiyya Movement and former Governor of Kano State; Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State; Senator George Akume, former Governor of Benue State; Senator Barnabas Gemade, kingmaker in Benue State politics; former Governor Abiola Ajumobi of Oyo State; among others.

The political casualties in Kwara State were devastating. The Saraki dynasty lost everything from the governorship to the senatorial elections. Saraki was defeated in Kwara Central and Senator Rafiu Ibrahim lost in Kwara South.

Saraki lost to Ibrahim Oloriegbe, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who had 123,808 votes to defeat the Senate President who had 68,994 votes,

Former Governor Godswill Akpabio who many celebrated as political giant in Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015, was defeated by Christopher Ekpenyong of the PDP, a former deputy governor in the state, who had 118,215 votes to defeat the former Minority Leader who had 83,158 votes.

National Daily learned that Akpabio in his hay days could make and unmake a governor, lawmakers, or who gets executive appointments in the state. He was speculated to be aspiring for the President of the Senate in the Ninth National Assembly.

In Benue State, the political godfather who made two governors and unmade several others, Senator George Akume, was among the victims of the 2019 elections holocaust. Akume, who represented Benue North-West Senatorial district in the National, was defeated in his fourth return to the Senate, by Orker Jev, a member of the House of Representatives and PDP candidate. Iev defeated got 157,726 votes to defeat Akume who got 115,422 votes.

Akume was the kingmaker who made former Governor Gabriel Suswam and Governor Samuel Ortom.

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Also, Senator Barnabas Gemade, who represented Benue North East in the National Assembly, lost to Gabriel Suswam of the PDP. Gemade contested the election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Another colossal defeat was encountered in Kano State where Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State, who represented Kano Central in the National Assembly was flatly beaten by the APC candidate. Kwankwaso is the leader of the Kwakwansiyya Movement in the Kano State, and the predecessor of incumbent Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Former Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State who had held sway in the state in the past could not only install a successor but also lost in his bid to retire from the Government House, Ibadan to the Senate of the National Assembly.

National Daily investigation, however, found that in most instances the federal might was maximized by APC to deal a severe blow on certain political principals who were perceived to have constituted stumbling blocks to the APC government at the centre. In Kwara State, Saraki simply acknowledged that he was rigged out. Kano State was also identified to be another theatre where the federal might was displayed. The APC political machine in Kwara State was coordinated by Lai Mohammed, former Minister of Information and Culture.

However, National Daily also found that in some other instances, those who lost even under the umbrella of the federal might were preponderantly rejected by their people who needed new leaders and representatives. This was gathered to be case in Akwa Ibom, Benue and Oyo states.

National Daily survey found that 66 senators in the Eighth National Assembly sought re-election in the 2019 elections; 33 lost the primary elections of their parties; while 25 were defeated in the general elections.

Other statistics, however, showed that among the 109 senators in the Ninth National Assembly, 69 are new senators and 40 old members. The returning senators are led by former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, former Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, including the controversial senator, Dino Melaye.

Several stakeholders have expressed the view that the 2019 general elections swept away the old order ad liquidated the hegemony of established godfathers and kingmakers in several parts of Nigeria.