The Crafty Demagogy– Mohammad Dele Belgore Embryonic Kwara PDP Gubernatorial Flag Bearer
By AbdulRahman Agboola)
Forthrightness is the expected characteristic of a true and genuine change agent worthy of peoples trust at any point in time. The basic roles of personalities in past events whether gloomy, vague or spectacular forms parameter for judging personalities, taking adequate cognizance on either motives or sincerity of purpose.
In real essence, a retrospective account of occurrence is a strong determinant of perception and thoughts about a public figure seeking political mandate at any point in time. On the authority of this assertion, I feel burdened to relay the sordid roles of Dele Belgore in the crisis that engulfed the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria leadership in Kwara State in 2011 with a view not to malign but to forecast the reoccurrence of the 2011 scenario in the build up to the 2015 gubernatorial election in Kwara State.
Chief Sunday Fagbemi was the State Chairman of ACN when AbdulRazak AbdulRahman and Chief Lola Ashiru were frontline financial of the activities of the party in Kwara State with the hope to clinch the ticket of ACN to contest the governorship election, but the decamping of Kale Belgore from PDP to ACN on the same purpose brought a different approach to the race.
Kale Belgore relied on the popularity and strong ties between the Belgore families and notable National Leaders of ACN and sought the aid of his kinsman Dele Belgore to influence the power brokers to endorse him and facilitate his emergence as the gubernatorial flag bearer in Kwara State but the family cord was broken in that process as the outcome of that process defies all logic as the facilitator eventually became the standard bearer.
At the expense of forthright Party Chieftains, Dele Belgore schemed out other contenders in a dubious manner with the help of a National Leader of ACN from Kwara State which led to schism and dumping the party by most party Chieftains that left the carcass for Dele Belgore and the rest is history. The schism started as a result of the imposition of Dele Belgore who was not only new in their fold but lacked the capacity to emerge in a fairly contested primary election.
The outcome of the State Congress of the Party was clearly unfavourable to the camp of Dele Belgore which led to a free for all crises at the State Secretariat located at Sango Area which eventually led to the decamping of leading State Party Executives led by Sunday Fagbemi to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change where AbdulRazak AbdulRahman eventually became the Gubernatorial Candidate while Arc Lola Ashiru and his clique decamped to ACPN, Chief Wole Oke traversed to PDP with his clique.
In the new order, the then CAN State Secretary Chief Olawepo became the Acting Chairman as the current PDP Chairman Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo became the Director General of Dele Belgore Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation. The MDB Crew was the engine room of his Campaign and was operated as a family affair with Ola Belgore who is Dele’s cousin and Olamide Obasa a daughter to Dele’s friend were in charge of major affairs.
The ACN only recorded success in Offa Local Government but failed in all other parts of kwara State but hope was built on the availability of time to reposition the party for greatness.
The wind of hope from the South West Progressives was the catalyst for the fair acceptance of ACN in Kwara State as at then but the batons have been exchanged in the current trend as the crude power seekers opposed to PDP in 2011 are the PDP leaders in Kwara today.
In a repeated manner, Dele Belgore has schemed himself to the frontline in PDP today after reconciliation with Sunday Fagbemi, proud support of his stooge-PDP State Chairman Akogun Iyola Oyedepo and commanding influence of Chie Bola Shagaya with vain thoughts of building on a faulty foundation.
Those that laboured heavily to sustain PDP in Kwara State after the decamping of Senator Bukola Saraki from PDP to APC will be totally dejected with the emergence of the crafty demagogic Dele Belgore who has tactically enjoyed the backing of the National Leaders of PDP to emerge as the Gubernatorial Flag bearer of the Party few moments from now.
Although, the PDP leaders in Kwara State are bonded with the pull down Bukola Saraki syndrome, but their peculiar differences, level of greed and parochial interest will definitely lead from collision to acrimony as things will tear apart in a repeated manner as 2011. The Kwara Central Senatorial Districts produced the Governor from 1999 till 2011 which was a factor that aided the success of the current Governor in 2011 poll on the ground of fairness and right thinking people of Kwara State only expects an opposition from the same Senatorial District with Governor for a good fight.
Whether Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed has performed creditably to the expectation of the electorates or not, his second term bid is an automatic decree with an opponent like Dele Belgore except a reasonable personality like Jani Ibrahim becomes the challenger.
Comrade AbdulRahman Agboola
National Coordinator,
Mass Action for Good Governance and Grassroots Development in Nigeria
Massaction4gg@gmail.com 09050768508
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