FIGHT TO FINISH: BOLA SHAGAYA, GBEMI SARAKI'S UNENDING QUARREL POLARISE KWARA PDP

The unending bitter quarrel between Ilorin Billionaire, Hajia Bola Shagaya and Senator Gbemi Saraki has started taking it's toll on the structure of Kwara People's Democratic Party (PDP). As it is now only a miracle would see the party wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state. 

Gbemi who is supposed to be a key party chieftain in the state have being relegated to the background by the overwhelming dominance of Hajia Bola Shagaya in decision making as it concerns the party. The development is not too palatable to the two term Senator of the republic, obviously when the president came to town recently in Ilorin, Gbemisola, popularly called GRS by her followers, was missing in the crowd. Not even a tiny flag bearing her insignia was among the load of campaign materials seen at the Metropolitan Square, venue of the presidential campaign.

Again when the party launched its state-wide campaign at Bode-Saadu, Moro Local Government Area of the state some days later, GRS and her followers were absent. This time around, it was not easy to dismiss the coincidence as party leaders acknowledged there was a growing disquiet between GRS and the leadership of the party.

Another issue behind the apparent sour relationship between Gbemi Saraki and Hajia Bola Shagaya, a deep pocket businesswoman and friend to First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan is when President Jonathan wanted to pick a minister from the state, GRS was a ready name but Shagaya nominated another candidate who was eventually picked after serious protests and bickering.

To compound the situation, one of the most virulent opponents of the Saraki dynasty and a Shagaya ally, Mr. Dele Belgore (SAN), was picked to lead the presidential campaign in Kwara State. Belgore allegedly sent Gbemi Saraki a few materials and N50, 000 to mobilise her supporters, but Gbemi's  camp reportedly felt insulted by the move and hence stayed away from the Presidential campaign.

Gbemi had reportedly formed her own group - Unity Group which is working against Shagaya and Belgore's interests, the ‘Unity Group’ is made up of GRS, Alhaji Bio Ibrahim, Alhaji AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq, as well as one-time gubernatorial aspirant of the PDP, Alhaji Yahman Abdullahi.

With the look of things, it is going to be fight to finish between the two Ilorin amazon, if at all Senator Gbemi Saraki did not decamp to another party.