Op-Ed: Hidden Third Term Agenda at All Costs: What Manner of Meeting? By Buoye David Olusegun
The sudden move by an outgoing governor—who for nearly seven years ignored and sidelined the very political associates who brought him to power—to now convene a so-called stakeholders’ meeting raises serious questions. This action is not far-fetched from a calculated attempt to pave the way for installing a puppet or political stooge.
This is not merely a personal opinion. Many young people in Kwara State have closely observed the governor’s recent maneuvers, including the proposed Stakeholders’ Strategic Meeting scheduled for Monday, December 22. It mirrors earlier gatherings, such as the Abuja meeting convened through Otunba Biodun Ajiboye and the Banquet Hall “youth engagement” programme—events widely seen as cosmetic rather than consultative.
Why does Governor AbdulRahman now find the idea of a stakeholders’ meeting necessary after spending almost seven out of eight years in office largely deaf to stakeholder input? What kind of engagement comes from a leader who has consistently appeared unresponsive to party members and critical voices?
Is this sudden outreach driven by the approaching end of tenure—another attempt to use people to advance a narrow, selfish agenda?
The real question is simple: what is the agenda of this so-called strategic stakeholders’ meeting at this late hour?
The answer is not far-fetched. It is clearly designed to rope stakeholders into a predetermined zoning and succession arrangement.
What else should one expect from a meeting dominated by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq appointees and a chorus of yes-men and sycophantic party loyalists?
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq must be told the hard truth: the APC structure in Kwara has been badly weakened under his watch, and it is far too late for cosmetic amendments. He should also be reminded that in 2019, despite Bukola Saraki’s firm grip on party structures and state machinery under the PDP, he still lost the general elections decisively. Control of structures does not guarantee electoral victory.
Let it be made clear to the national leadership of the party: if the APC intends to retain Kwara State, Governor AbdulRahman must not take the front seat in determining its future.
