The political entry of Bukola Saraki into Kwara state has caused a stir in the political atmosphere. As an erstwhile political leader who once enjoyed a lot of clout in the state, his return is seen as an attempt to redeem his lost dynasty. However, a lot has changed since he was last active in politics in the state.
One major change is that the clout that Saraki solely enjoyed in the past is now being shared with other political leaders. Campaigning for the 2023 elections has also become more difficult and is no longer the easy path to the government house that it used to be. This is the first time that Saraki is campaigning in Kwara state holding an opposition flag.
Despite these challenges, Saraki’s return has had a positive impact on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. His political followers have been re-energized, and the party’s massive campaign train has become more active. His arrival in the north was well received, and the PDP’s Osuwa movement has become more popular in the central region of the state.
However, the PDP had been perceived as a weak opposition party with little political and strategic activities. Many political analysts were not taking them seriously until recently. The party’s grandees claim that their silence is a political strategy while some claim that they are working ‘underground’ but not making it known to the media, but the media and publicity are essential in shaping the minds of the populace, which is why it is taken as an essential aspect of every political campaign. After all, media and publicity played a major role in the 2019 “O to ge” Mantra that sent the now major opposition party packing.
It is undeniable that some of the PDP candidates were doing their best, but it will take some technical efforts to bring the party back to power, especially when the opposition parties were not taking the campaign lightly. Candidates like Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, Ibrahim Ajia, Hon Buko, among others, have made efforts that cannot be unnoticed.
The return of Saraki has given the PDP campaign a new level of sophistication, and as the political atmosphere continues to unravel, the party is becoming more competitive. With only a few days left to the election, it remains to be seen whether the PDP can regain its lost glory in Kwara state or not.