Two years after landmark victory, Kwara’s ‘O to ge’ movement in disarray

Different forces within the All Progressives Congress (APC) closed ranks to oust a common enemy in Kwara State in 2019. But two years after achieving this feat, the structure is gradually collapsing.

‘O to ge,’ a moniker from the Yoruba translation of “Enough is Enough”, was formed in 2019, ahead of the general election, to dethrone the Saraki dynasty in the state. The dynasty was founded by the Second Republic Senate Leader, Olusola Saraki, and sustained by his son, former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The four main groups that formed the coalition were: Legacy group led by the minister of information, Lai Mohammed; Akogun group led by a former Chairman of the PDP, Iyiola Oyedepo; Gbemi group, named after the minister of state for transportation, Gbemisola Saraki, and the AA group championed by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The clan led by the late Olusola Saraki had dominated the state’s affairs for over a decade.

The late Saraki’s son, Bukola, served as the governor of the state for two terms between 2003 and 2011. He was succeeded by Abdulfatah Ahmed, a loyal supporter of the dynasty.

To underscore the influence of the Sarakis beyond party politics, Mr Ahmed won the first governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was re-elected under the APC after the Saraki team formally moved to the APC.

Nevertheless, the O to ge movement pulled a game-changer in the 2019 election.