How mother’s death reunited Saraki with political ‘foes’

Politics is an intersection of interests, alliances and affinities and when interests cease aligning, the political actors are left with no option than to part ways.

This is typical of the Nigerian brand of politics where the winner takes all and the opposing candidates are ostracised in the scheme of things. This is why the two major political parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – are perpetually at loggerheads – fighting tooth and nail in a scramble for power.

But recently the political class in Nigeria buried their differences to celebrate the matriarch of the Saraki dynasty, Mrs. Florence Morenikeji Saraki, who died on June 18, 2024.

The Saraki’s dynasty is the political empire of the Second Republic Senate Leader, late Olusola Saraki and for a long time the strongest man of Kwara politics.

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Late Sola Saraki or Oloye, as he was fondly called was more than a political colossus. His influence transcended Kwara and became one of the most sought and highly influential politicians in Nigeria. He also popularised the populist political ideology with massive followership among the masses.

Prior to his demise in November 2012, his son, Bukola Saraki, was emerging as a successor to the throne, becoming one of the influential politicians in the country. As a two-term governor of Kwara State, he also emerged as the Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum. From 2015-2019, he became the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly.

Therefore, Saraki, even out of power remains one of the politicians of record and the death of his mother attracted widespread condolences and publicity. Saraki’s sister and the immediate past Minister of State for Steel Development, Senator Rukayyat Gbemisola Saraki, is another politician of note who has built bridges across the length and breadth of this country as a lawmaker – House of Representatives member and Senator – and also as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari.  

Following the demise of Mama Morenikeji, the Lagos home of the late Olusola Saraki in Ikoyi, became bustling with visitors from all walks of life and across party divides.

The former Senate President played host to countless number of political heavyweights across party lines. They comprised friends and foes in other political parties. Though, Saraki is a national leader of the PDP, the passage of Mama at the ripe age of 89 had reunited politicians across party lines, thronging the home of the Oloye to celebrate the matriarch. This is aside the fact that Saraki and his sister, Gbemisola, belong to different political parties as the latter remains a member of the APC.

Dignitaries and sympathisers from the political, professional and the business communities thronged the home of the Saraki to commiserate with him on the demise of Mama.

The roll call of visitors to the home of the Saraki’s included the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Peter Obi; delegation of Oba of Lagos, Riliwanu Akiolu; host governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, among others.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio led the delegation of the red chamber on a condolence visit to the family. The delegation included the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau; Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele;  Chairman, Senate Committee on Livestock Development, Senator Salihu Mustapha who took over the Senate seat from him, among others.

To cap it all, the visit of the First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu was the icing on the cake for the Saraki’s family.

Mrs Tinubu declared during the visit that, politics apart, they are members of the same family. “We are one family. You know that politics aside, the president will always look out for you. Mama lived a good life. I know it hurts so much but we thank God for the good life she lived.”

She also recalled that Saraki always supported her when they were both in the Senate.

However, Saraki noted that he was not surprised by the visit of the First Lady, whom he described as a passionate and loving woman.

He said: “You always see the bigger picture all the time. I know you are a passionate woman who is full of compassion. I know you are here with the knowledge of the president. I thank you very much.”

While some observers describe Saraki as a Lagos boy who lived in Lagos for years and even got married to a Lagos princess, Barr. Oluwatoyin Saraki, who is a princess of the Ojora family, others believe the demise of his mother had reunited him with his opponents going by the number of the opposition figures that paid condolence visits and attended the burial.

Chief of Staff to the president, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, who is the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, represented the president at the burial ceremony held at Eko Hotel.

Apart from the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who did not pay a condolence visit to the Saraki’s but issued a statement to commiserate with the family, seeing the likes of Ganduje and other prominent APC chieftains on a condolence visit was significant. The former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, was also on ground to commiserate with the family.

While Saraki was a founding member of the ruling APC until July 2018, he became the Senate President against the wishes of the ‘cabal’ in APC and the Presidency under Muhammadu Buhari. Despite being a member of the APC, Saraki faced stiff opposition within the party resulting in a cat and mouse relationship with the executive.

Saraki, in a statement announcing his exit from the APC alluded to this fact. He said, “While I take full responsibility for this decision, I will like to emphasise that it is a decision that has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist.

“They have done everything to ensure that the basic rules of party administration, which should promote harmonious relations among the various elements within the party were blatantly disregarded. All governance principles which were required for a healthy functioning of the party and the government were deliberately violated or undermined.”

Since then Saraki remains a national leader of the PDP, his erstwhile party before joining the APC as a leader of the then New PDP bloc which had the likes of Rotimi Amaechi, Aminu Tambuwal, among others.

It remains to be seen if the new found friendship will stop at the condolence visits and celebration of the Saraki’s matriarch. Are new alliances in the offing? Will Saraki return to the party where he was ostracised? With friends and associates across party lines, analysts say that working together in the future is not unlikely.

Public affairs analyst and former House of Representatives member, Dr. Wunmi Bewaji, said the president has a large heart and with the demonstration of love and affection to the Saraki family on the occasion of their matriarch’s demise, he could still work with him if he returns to the APC.

 “What has happened is not unusual in a moment like this for people, regardless of political affiliation, to want to reach out and condole and platforms like that can also be used to reconnect with old friends and foes. More so, Saraki has a personal relationship with President Tinubu and that is why I was not surprised to see the First Lady.

“Tinubu also has the capacity which normal politicians don’t have; he is one politician that I know, has friends across board. He has this ability to relate across the aisle. He has always been able to maintain his person-to-person relationship outside of his politics. But the presence of the party chairman might raise the eyebrow that something might be in the offing,” he said.