Kwara State: Kwara Gov. Confirms Saraki's Death, For Burial Today
News & Reports from Vanguard & Punch
AFP
The Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, has officially confirmed the passing on of the strongman of Kwara State politics, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, Ahmed said Saraki died in his Lagos State home and would be buried on Wednesday (today) in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Wahab said Ahmed “has announced the death of His Eminence, Waziri of Ilorin, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki.”
Wahab added: “The governor urged community, religious and political leaders to troop out en masse to receive the remains of this illustrious son and Nigeria’s political icon later today at the Ilorin International Airport.”
From Vanguard
Second Republic Senate Leader and strongman of Kwara State politics, Dr. Olusola Saraki, is dead. Saraki, who was also fondly known as Oloye, died on Wednesday morning aged 79 at his 2, Cameron Road, Ikoyi, Lagos residence after battling with an undisclosed illness for some time. His death was confirmed by his son and former governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki as well as Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Saraki, who was also the Wazirin Ilorin, will be buried at 4p.m on Wednesday in Ilorin. The state government has already declared three days of mourning for the departed politician.
The elder statesman was a prominent politician for 47 years, especially in his native state.
During the period, he produced governors, state and federal lawmakers and ran for president at a time. Born on May 17, 1933 in Ilorin, he was elected to the Senate in 1979 on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria.
According to Wikipedia, he was educated at Eko Boys High School and attended the University of London, and St George’s Hospital Medical School, London. He worked as a medical officer at the General Hospital, Lagos and the Creek Hospital, Lagos. He first entered politics when he ran in the 1964 parliamentary election for Ilorin as an independent, but failed to win.
After the election, he returned to his medical practice in Lagos, only returning to party-politics in 1978/79. In 1977, Olusola Saraki was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly that produced the 1979 Constitution.
In 1979, he was elected a senator of the Second Republic on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria and became Senate Leader.
In 1983, Saraki was re-elected to the Senate.
In 1998, Olusola Saraki became a National Leader and member of the Board of Trustees of the All Peoples Party, contributing to the party’s success in Kwara and Kogi states.
He assisted Mohammed Alabi Lawal to become governor of Kwara State and in 2001 he was head of a team from the Arewa Consultative Forum sent to meet and discuss common goals with Northern state governors and other leaders.
Later Saraki switched allegiance to the Peoples Democratic Party and in the 2003 elections supported his son as candidate for governor of Kwara state in April 2003.
He also backed his daughter, Gbemisola, to become senator for Kwara Central in April 2003.
In March 2003, the Societe Generale Bank of which Saraki was chairman was investigated by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for alleged money laundering. Later, SGBN was investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Nuhu Ribadu, and its license was temporarily suspended.
He led his supporters from the PDP to the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria on January 2, 2011 after a rally attended by thousands of his supporters, including former local government council chairmen, former senators and House of Representatives members.
His defection signaled a crack in the Saraki fold, as his son remained in the PDP.
His daughter ran as governorship candidate of the party but was defeated by Abdulfatah Ahmed of the PDP, who was supported by Bukola.
Culled From :Vanguard & Punch
 
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