Kwara 2027: X-ray of Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa BOB’s Political Journey

By Ayo Abegunde

Another election circle is here and the jostle for political positions is already high pitch. The 2027 general elections means a lot to many levels of government and to the many aspirants pursuing positions at those levels.

From the Governorship to the Senate, the House of Representatives to the State Houses of Assembly, incumbents are on the march to retain their seats or seek higher offices. New aspirations are in the air- the sweet lucre of political office is alluring.

The Optics in Kwara State are different. The political dynamics is seemingly not on the same trajectory.

Prior to 2019, the politics and economy of Kwara State was under the exclusive dominance of a more than four decade dynasty. The struggle to dislodge it was as fierce as the resolve and determination to retain the stranglehold of a common patrimony.

A series of political miscalculation and fortuitous happenstances left the hitherto progressive opposition in a historic position to wrench power from the political behemoth, that had held Kwara by the jugular for decades.

A new APC structure had to be built, a destitute and forlorn people had to be emancipated and a movement had to be propelled to make history.

Hon Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa was propped up to make history happen.
In August, 2018, he was announced State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State.

19 years earlier, he had started his political journey as a councillor representing Oko-baba ward in the Lagos Mainland. He served three terms in this capacity and proceeded to serve as Council Chairman of Lagos Mainland for two terms. He further proceeded from there to represent Lagos Mainland Federal constituency in the Federal House of Representatives.

The attraction to serve ones homeland brought him to Kwara in 2010 to run for Governorship under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Even as a new entrant into Kwara politics, his political savvy and deliberate politicking was instrumental to the scare he caused at the gubernatorial primaries held at the Polo grounds, Adeta, Ilorin on that historic day in January, 2011. The powers that be scampered to stop BOB from winning the PDP Governorship ticket. His political status experienced an upsurge.

This pedigree was to become instrumental in his new assignment as Kwara APC chairman. Contending groups and interests struggled for relevance and control of the structures in the rejuvenated Kwara APC. The conduit to assuming power in a new Kwara looked promising and realizable. Alas, all those who took a chance at obtaining nomination forms to all elective positions “jelo”.

It took the political sagacity, administrative demeanour and emotional stability to sail the ship of APC to an overwhelming election victory in what was termed and is still popularly referred to today as “o’toge”. The APC won all the available electable seats both at the state and federal levels (34-0).

This was indeed a watershed in the politics of Kwara.

Fast forward to seven years, the two term of the incumbent Governor of Kwara State and the icon of that o’toge event, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is winding down. What kind of successor should mount the saddle after him?

The events of pre-2018 should not be lost on any discerning Kwara. The struggle is not over, the snake’s tail was afflicted. Kwara needs a man who can smash the snake’s head, kill it and institute a trajectory of seamless Democratic transition, where every Kwaran can contest elections without the shadow of a godfather.

Garnering political experience that spans ward level legislative, local government executive, national legislative and state party chairmanship experiences is the richest vein of preparation for the Governor of post o’toge Kwara.

Kwara can’t be thrust in the hands of budding politicians and grandstanders without the prerequisite political tutelage to move Kwara forward and sustain the ongoing massive infrastructural development, economy recalibration and cohesive political party management.

Who the cap fits, let him wear it.