Saraki won many battles but lost the war. His story is a lesson for everyone who craves power for the sake of it.
Senate President Bukola Saraki has a knack for taking on political battles and winning most of them. Ambitious and power hungry, Saraki prides himself on how smart he has become in the politics of his nation.
He fought his Dad, the late Chief Olusola Saraki and won, he fought his sister Gbemisola Saraki and won, he fought the APC and won, he fought the presidency and won, he sidestepped impeachment plots and emerged unscathed.
Political brinkmanship is his life. His life is political brinkmanship. He loves the game and the game loves him.
However, in hindsight, Saraki’s battle against the APC; one that led to his election as Senate President on June 9, 2015, was the most ill-advised of them all.
With the APC hierarchy (one that was still coming to grips with the intricacies of wielding power at the center after knocking out the PDP from its perch) settling for Ahmed Lawan from Yobe to lead the senate, Saraki colluded with opposition PDP senators, drove himself to the national assembly long before the gates were flung open, waited in the parking lot for what seemed an eternity, threw himself into the red chamber once he was sure of a quorum and got himself elected senate president, while a chunk of APC senators were still locked in a senate leadership meeting with party godfather Bola Tinubu kilometers away.
The APC raged and kicked as Saraki savored his victory.
However, when political historians gather years from now to settle on a date when Saraki lost political relevance in the Nigerian firmament, they may have to go back to that morning of June 9, 2015.
Those who know Bourdillon godfather Tinubu, say he has a memory the size of an elephant. He never forgets a perceived wrong done him or his political establishment. Saraki’s loss of the Kwara Central Senatorial seat on Saturday, February 23, 2019, had Tinubu written all over it. It may have taken Tinubu four years to exact a revenge, but he finally did.
When Saraki engaged Tinubu in a war of words and called him names, Bourdillon recoiled, went back to its chess board and doubled down on its plot.
Saraki escaped one plot after another, including some bordering on corruption and false declaration of assets. He was even accused of arming the robbers who brought down Offa on April 5, 2018.
Saraki was winning all of his battles and thumping his chest along the way. He left the APC, joined the PDP and made a pastime out of trolling members of his old political camp and calling them names for full measure.
In that time, he ran for president on the PDP platform and lost, asked a proxy to pick up the Kwara central senatorial form and made more enemies as he took on fights, left, right and center. The APC couldn't even impeach him to save their lives. But Bourdillon doesn't forget a perceived wrong, no matter how long it takes. Ask Ambode.
At some point, you do suffer burnout from taking on too many fights. And Saraki, for all his political sagacity, debonair disposition, ability to sway an audience with his smooth talking and charisma, became battle weary.
When the APC deployed Information Minister Lai Mohammed to Kwara with tanks, resources and the “O To Ge!” (Enough is Enough) battle cry—one aimed at dismantling the Saraki political hegemony in the north central state—Saraki was practically gasping for breath. He had taken on too many battles and left his flanks open. He had lost the war when losing the battle in the short term could have sufficed.
By the close of voting on Saturday, February 23, 2019, the people of Asa, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Ilorin West had handed Saraki a red card with a cumulative 123,808 votes. He wouldn't be returning to the senate even as a floor member, on their watch.
Kwara had become sick of the sight of Saraki. Who would have thought? When he got on a plane to return to Abuja after the vote, they hurled invective his way from the runway.
Saraki is a smart politician. But sometimes, as they say in pidgin “over-sense dey kill pesin”. In the end, Bukola Saraki played himself.
By Pulse
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