By Balkis Tijani.
Senator Ibrahim Yahya Oloriegbe, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the 9th Senate, has rubbished reports linking him to an alleged plot engineered towards the removal of Prof. Abubakar Olarenwaju Suleiman as the Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS.
Oloriegbe, who’s renowned for dislodging the former senate president, Abubarkar Bukola Saraki from the Senate, described the reports as cheap blackmail, as he feels no envy towards Suleiman’s position as NILDS boss.
The senator, disclosed this in a statement by his media aide, Bolaji Aladie.
“I must say that the allegation of plotting the removal of Professor Suleiman from NILDS is cheap blackmail to score political points. Regardless of our political camp, he (Suleiman) is my brother from the same community, we hailed from same Ajikobi constituency and we are brothers of religion, aside the fact that we have once shared the same political ideology about the retrogressive conditions of our State under the leadership of Saraki. Let’s assume that the other alignments are not worthy to consider, the fact that we are both Muslims is enough to wish him nothing but goodness as Prophet Muhammad (SAW) enjoined we His followers.
“Why should I be plotting Suleiman’s removal from what providence bestowed on him? I am not envying his position because I am contented with Allah’s favour upon my life. Even though, he (Suleiman) assumed to be naysayers when he confidently wrote off my chance of defeating his boss while we both appeared together on Channels TV program “Politics Today” during the electioneering period. However, I’ve forgiven his sheer ignorance and over bloated ego having got favoured by Allah with victory which Suleiman and his likes did not see coming my way.
“It is to the glory of Kwara and Ilorin Community that he was considered for the job and I have nothing personally to gain if he should be removed. In fact, it will be a great loss to us as a community, as none of us from Kwara can guarantee that another Kwaran will be considered as his replacement.
“I don’t play politics of bitterness, acrimony, revenge and ‘pull him down’ as obtainable with some people who believed no one from Kwara can attain any position of authority except through them and always ready to impede the passage of whomsoever found his/her way through another route”, Oloriegbe said.
The Kwara Central Senator, offered to assist the NILDS DG in any way possible, should he require such.
“My door is always open to him (Suleiman) if he thinks my assistance is needed anyway regarding his work at NILDS”, he added.
As a well meaning Nigerian,as a community developer, as a great politician without holding anyone in mind, as a core Muslim, I don’t think senator yahya Oloriegbe can do such a thing, what has he gain if he does that, what will be the benefit of the community they are both representing, am very sure it will be a great loss to him(senator) also if the DG loss the seat. So, I urge our media trumpet to stop misleading people with there self acclaimed interest. May God bless our dear country.