- If feelers seeping out from the Kwara state APC is anything to go, there is a major political battle ahead
- Gbemisola Saraki and Alhaji Lai Mohammed are at logger heads within the Kwara state chapter of the ruling party
- Both political heavyweights are fighting for the ministerial slot earmarked for the party
A report by ThisDay indicates that there is a titanic battle currently ongoing between Senator Gbemisola Saraki and Alhaji Lai Mohammed within the Kwara state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Both political heavyweights are said to be battling for the state's ministerial slot as President Muhammadu Buhari is set to constitute a new cabinet for his second term soon.
According to the report, both camps have started beating the war drums ahead of the impending inauguration of the new administration.
While Gbemi is aiming to take her first bite of the ministerial apple, Lai Mohammed, the current minister of information and culture, is bidding to retain his position.
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Over recent weeks, Gbemi has reportedly been on a charm offensive, trying to rally prominent Kwarans under the APC flag to her cause. She is also allegedly in contact with top APC officials at the national level.
She is leaving no stone unturned to secure what she regards as just rewards for the herculean efforts she expended to unseat her blood brother and outgoing Senate president Bukola Saraki.
Expectedly, Lai Mohammed is not taking her recent moves lying down. His supporters say Gbemi cannot match the information minister in terms of loyalty or contributions to the cause.
Lai Mohammed, they opined, has been a staunch loyalist who stayed in the APC under its various guises, unlike Gbemi who is a relative newbie having only decamped in 2015. They also pointed out how Mohammed has done a yeoman’s job in his post and right from when he was the chief publicist for the APC.
As the battle heats up, Gbemi and Mohammed are banking on their respective networks at the national level to gain the upper hand. Gbemi is said to have warmed her way into the heart of the APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, such that he always consults her before making any important decision that affects the party in Kwara.
On the other hand, Alhaji Lai Mohammed is the designated leader of the party in the state and can count on the loyalty of much of the rank and file, despite Gbemi’s recent moves to win them over. He also said to be very close to the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Meanwhile, barely nine days to President Buhari’s inauguration for a second term on May 29, ministers have intensified lobby to retain their appointments in the federal cabinet.
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About 70 percent of the current ministers are said to be desperately lobbying to serve in the next cabinet.
Some of the ministers seeking to return to the cabinet are said to have abandoned their tasks and are busy chasing after close associates of the president to help them into the anticipated federal council.
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Source: Legit
