WHY GBEMI SARAKI MAY BECOME NIGERIA FIRST FEMALE GOVERNOR

Barring any  unforeseen development, Senator Gbemi Saraki may safely berth as the first female governor of Kwara State, First Weekly has learnt.

Latest development within Kwara State PDP and the state in general indicates that the popular senator may have a smooth run into the Kwara State Government House.

Contrary to report that the incumbent governor of the state, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the godfather of Kwara politics, Senator Oluseola Saraki are at loggerheads over the candidacy of Senator Gbemi Saraki. Sources close to the family insist that every member of the family are indeed united over the choice of Gbemi as the Peoples Democratic Party's candidate for the exalted office.

According to our source, Governor Saraki was under initial pressure from ambitious politicians in the state but when he discovered that the choice of Gbemi is popular in the state, he embraced the popular female senator.

Confirming that Gov. Bukola Saraki is in support of her sister's ambition, another credible source in the state PDP disclosed that the popularity of the female senator is the main reason she has been embraced by the party.

“Why do you think her father endorsed her in the first place, if not for her popularity,” the source asked rhetorically.

“No politician, no matter how powerful can sponsor the  candidature of someone who is not popular. If her choice is not popular, her father would not have presented her  to the party.

“Everybody including the ambitious few who were initially agitated have now discovered that Gbemi is the candidate to beat that is why  everybody, decided to work together for the common goal of ensuring that Gbemi becomes the next governor of Kwara State.”

Speaking further the source who wields enormous influence in the party's state chapter also informed that the pockets of agitation purportedly coming from the Islamic scholars in the state were sponsored adding that “when the real Islamic scholars  spoke out, we knew it was some ambitious people trying to see if they could get attention.

“All that is gone now as all is set for the real battle and since popularity and capability are the main criteria that determines the choice of a popular candidate, Gbemi has them, don't forget she first got elected to the House of Reps before she became a senator. She wouldn't have been able to attain those feats if she was not popular,” the source concluded.

First Weekly investigations further revealed that the women folk in the state are united more than ever and have sworn to ensure that for the first time in the country, a woman becomes the state governor, even as the traditional rulers in the state have thrown their weight behind the senator's candidacy as governor.     

November 11, 2010