On July 25, 2022, the popular Alanamu market in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State was gutted by an early morning inferno.
No fewer than 11 shops were left in ruins out of the 90 constructed in the market and property worth over N10 million destroyed in the process.
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As the community and the affected residents continue to count their losses, the incident has become a campaign tool of sorts, particularly for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Kwara Central senatorial race, which has been described by political observers as the fiercest in the history of the state.
Within the last one month, the community had received very high ranking members of both political parties, with donations and pledges to assist the victims.
The move has, however, been described by pundits as the continuation of the scramble for votes ahead of the 2023 race.
It was the Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who led the first team to visit the burnt section of the market.
The governor, while speaking at the palace of the Balogun Alanamu of Ilorin, Dr Usman Abubakar Jos during the commiseration visit, promised a government relief package for the victims to enable them bounce back.
He said the State Emergency Management Agency had already visited the burnt market for enumeration, adding that the state would offer some support to the victims within its resources.
“It was a great loss of property and livelihood, though we thank God that no life was lost to the inferno. We were able to respond quickly. Officials of the State Fire Service were here on time to control it, but we regret what had been destroyed before they came,” the governor added.
The Balogun Alanamu, who conducted the governor round the affected shops, appreciated him for his swift response to the unfortunate incident.
Four days after the governor’s visit, the APC candidate for the senatorial election and Turaki of Ilorin, Mallam Saliu Mustapha, breezed into the community on Friday to ‘sympathise’ with the victims over the inferno.
While being conducted round the razed shops by the Balogun Alanamu, the former national chairmanship aspirant of the APC promised comprehensive renovation of the market, which, according to him, would start the following day (Saturday).
Mustapha further asked Balogin Alanamu to raise a committee that would liaise with his foundation to fashion out an appropriate grant for victims to bounce back and enable them to re-establish their livelihood.
A day after Mustapha visited, it was the turn of the party’s candidate for the House of Representatives in Ilorin West/Asa, Mallam Muktar Tolani Shagaya, who donated N1million.
“I have just finished inspecting the burnt section of the Alanamu market. It is obvious that a lot of persons have been affected because we saw that virtually all the stores in that section have been totally burnt.
“I also appreciated Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for his quick intervention on ‘cash relief disbursement’ to victims of the inferno,” the APC candidate noted.
Shortly after the APC candidates concluded their sympathy visit, it became the turn of PDP politicians, a move that was pioneered by the visit of the party’s senatorial candidate and former minister of sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi who ‘supported’ the victims with the sum of N2.5 million.
Then came the turn of his party’s governorship candidate, Alhaji Abdulkadir Shuaib Yaman, who was accompanied by the executive members of the PDP during his ‘solidarity visit’ to the Alanamu community to empathise with them on the fire incident.
“Together, we shall build a modern market for the community,” Yaman told the Balogun Alanamu while in his palace.
But Bolaji’s earlier visit had set the tone for the political engagement that followed between the two rival parties when he lashed out at some of the ‘donors’ for politicising the events in the name of sympathy.
“We have come to commiserate with our family and father, Balogun, and to also see what we can do to support the people.
“As you can see, since the incident of Alanamu happened, politicians we have never seen before have been falling over themselves to proof that they have been generous to the people.
“When COVID happened, we didn’t see them. We were here when rainstorm happened, such that people’s roofs were blown away and we didn’t see them. So I can understand why politicians will think that it is necessary for them to play politics with people’s hearts,” the former minister said.
He cautioned politicians to stop attempting to dance on people’s tragedy in an effort to make political points.
While Bolaji’s outburst over the development points to the fierce senatorial race ahead, it has further been described by observers as a subtle political jab to his biggest opponent in the race, Mallam Mustapha.
Although the Turaki congratulated Bolaji on the occasion of his birthday earlier in August with both of them displaying camaraderie and exchanging pleasantries at public functions to the applause of their supporters, the Turaki’s endless ‘philanthropic’ activities, especially in Kwara Central, has become a major point of discuss and is expected to compete with Bolaji’s ‘Big Ideas’ ahead of the senatorial race.
Alanamu’s significance
While supporters of both parties have continued to attack themselves on the social media and other medial platforms over the development, political observers said the politicians were cashing in on the issue, cloaked in the garb of “sympathy visit” because of the significance of Alanamu in the politics of Ilorin West and Kwara Central, being the biggest ward with the largest voting population.
Win-win situation
According to the Head of the Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin, Dr Muhammed Alada, what is happening is politics and a win-win situation for the victims of the market fire.
He said, “This development should be expected between the two main opposing parties, the APC and PDP. While the former is struggling to retain its fold, the latter is equally fighting to dislodge it, and the Alanamu fire incident provides a battleground and the opportunity to slug it out.
“The Alanamu area is part of the ruling house in Ilorin and seen as key to any political success in Ilorin West. The place has turned to a Mecca of sorts for politicians for the senatorial contest led by the governor and PDP gubernatorial candidate.
“So, it is a continuation of the battle and part of the strategy of winning, rather than a genuine attempt to better the lots of the people.
“But if in the quest of seeking votes, the lots of the people would become better, then all well and good. Just like Sir Ahmadu Bello stated in his biography, that though he was a politician and not a Mallam, if politics would assist him achieve his political objectives he would use it. That is exactly what is happening. The goal is politics and vote is what matters. It is that vote factor that is making Alanamu very significant for the two parties, especially in the 2023 elections, particularly in the senatorial race,” the political scientist added.
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