The Ilorin Emirate Council has begun moves to broker peace between former Governor Bukola Saraki and the chairman of Federal Character Commission (FCC), Professor Shuaib Abdulraheem, investigations by Daily Trust have shown.
There has been no love lost between the two with Saraki who represents Kwara Central in the Senate allegedly making moves to frustrate the reappointment of Abdulraheem as chairman of the FCC.
The cold war between the two was res-ponsible for the infighting in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite consistent denials by party stakeholders.
Abdulraheem, a former Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin, is expected to appear for fresh screening before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs following his reappointment as the head of the commission.
It was gathered that the council comprising traditional chiefs on behalf of the Emir, Alhaji Ibrahim Zulu Gambari who is outside the country, had over the weekend met separately with Saraki and Abdulrahem.
They decided to call the two of them our correspondent in a follow-up meeting where issues are expected to be resolved in the interest of unity and peace of emirate, according to sources privy to the matter.
Both Saraki and Abdulraheem hail from the same Ajikobi ward of Ilorin West Local Government.
The intervention of the emirate might not be unconnected with a letter written to the Emir and Chairman, State Council of Traditional rulers by some youths of Ilorin emirate under the aegis of Ilorin Emirate Youth Assembly.
The letter exclusively obtained by Daily Trust was dated 19th June and jointly signed by Comrade Ibrahim Adifa and Hassanat Gambari, national coordinator and secretary respectively where it appealed to the emir to prevail on Saraki to retract his opposition to the FCC chairman’s reappointment.
It was copied to three prominent indigenes of Ilorin, including former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Modibbo Alfa Belgore, Former President of Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi and retired Supreme Court Justice (JSC), Justice Saidu Kawu.
Source: Daily Trust