High Society Wedding Of Olofa’s Son Returns Attention To AbdulRazaq-Saraki Rivalry

Eminent Nigerians including Kwara state Deputy Governor, Mr. Kayode Alabi, former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki,  former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed,  members of  the House of Representatives ;Hon Yinka Aluko and Hon Raheem Olawuyi,  Speaker of Kwara state House of Assembly, Hon Yakubu Salihu Danladi ,  former rep Moshood Mustapha, former rep Ahmad Ali, Kwara state PDP Chairman, Hon Tunde Mohammed,  Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Oniru of Iru, Abdulwasiu Lawal , and the Elegushi of Ikate Elegushi, Oba Saheed Elegushi attended the wedding  ceremony of  the son of  Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi, Prince Muhammad Oyeyemi  in Offa last week.

Aishat Oluwatosin and Prince Mohammed exchanged vows at a wedding ceremony that was attended by the cream of Kwara’s high society.

While the engagement ceremony was held on  November 30 ,2023, the  Nikkah  ceremony took place on December 1, 2023, while the wedding reception was held on December 2, 2023.

Some among the dignitaries graced all the events, some  attended two while others were present at only one of the three events.

Though the Deputy Governor attended the event, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was conspicuous by his absence as he was not present at any of the three events.

Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru, an indigene of Offa, was also not present at any of the events.

 This had since given birth to insinuations  and inferences are being made.   Many had also submitted that the governor may not have been invited to the wedding ceremony.

Sources however told Team@orientactualmags.com that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was not only invited to the wedding ceremony but was also expected to be the Chairman of the Occasion at the wedding reception.

Oba Gbadamosi became Olofa of Offa in 2010 during Dr Bukola Saraki’s governorship and having attended two of the events, a decision was made to have the former Senate President as Chairman of the occasion  having obviously confirmed that Governor AbdulRazaq  would not be attending the wedding reception that was held at the Imperial Events Centre opposite Summit University, Irra Road ,Offa.

Offa is the second most populated city in Kwara state, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi is also a first-class traditional ruler, Saraki’s supporters therefore, as expected, made political capital out of  the issue and  this was shown in the statement issued by the former senate president’s Press Officer on Local Matters, Mr Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir titled ‘Saraki Chairs  Wedding Reception Of Olofa’s Son, Blesses The Union’ .

Saraki, the statement noted,  described marriage as a divine design of Allah and one of the most beautiful institutions in the world. He congratulated the couple for starting a relationship that they have nurtured and eventually exchanged vows.

He urged the couple to be best of friends, live forever with love, and overlook  their differences.

While noting that challenges will come, Saraki, who is the Waziri of Ilorin, urged them to remain one formidable force and face any challenges that  may come their way.

‘The former Senate President also advised them to be tolerant of each other at all times and give no room for a third party to come between them.

The Waziri Ngeri who had earlier graced the engagement ceremony of Muhammed and Aisha, on Thursday also commended the Olofa and Engr Shuaib family for the proper upbringing of their wards and for putting together a successful and a memorable wedding  ceremony for them’ the statement said. 

‘I must congratulate the Olofa and the Shuaib family for the success of this wedding and the grand reception.

This is indeed a society wedding. I admire the organization, decoration of the venue, and the reception of the guests. You have indeed set a new pace with this classic event.

I pray God to grant you long life to see these children prosper in marriage. I also pray for the new couple to excel and remain sources of joy to their parents’ the statement also quoted Saraki to have submitted.

For good reasons, the former Senate President will definitely be eager to welcome any  ‘positive recognition’  in  the ancient town considering past experiences.

The lightning strike incident at Chief Emmanuel Adesoye’s residence in 2006, the ‘tough times’ for  his party’s candidates in the LG and House of Assembly Elections which was later worsened by the deliberate attempt by the  then Inspector General of Police , Mr Ibrahim Idris  to link him with Offa bank robbery of April 5, 2018. This, he had done, to show Saraki in a bad light.

Because the governor was conspicuous by his absence at the wedding ceremony, attention has returned to a particular topic; the  AbdulRazaq-Saraki rivalry.

  It was actually a ‘topical issue’ on social media, and it came at a time, their respective supporters had gotten busy trying to outdo each other in ‘demarketing’ former governors and the current governor and sadly getting the flyover and underpass projects in Tanke and Geri Alimi involved forgetting the ‘safety fears’ it may produce and the possibility of having fanatical supporters making an attempt to secretly damage the bridges in question to prove their point.

  Many leapt to conclusions that the governor chose not to attend the event having gotten informed that the former senate president would be present.

Though the governor and Saraki met at an awards ceremony shortly before getting sworn in 2019 , they also met at Ilorin eid praying ground only once and many had looked forward to seeing them together again .

A source told Team@orientactualmags.com that the governor was apparently miffed because of a certain development that was recorded a few days before the wedding.

 ‘The governor was informed that Saraki has given the royal family  N15million to support them for the wedding  and he was apparently not comfortable with that maybe he would have loved  to make it  PDP-free  .

An existential issue also worsened matters, you know that the governor lost at the polling station in the palace during the last governorship election and he was not happy that  this happened on Oba Gbadamosi’s watch , that was why former Commissioner for Enterprise, Hon Femi Whyte, who was nominated by Olofa , was not reappointed and could not retain his position as member of the governor’s cabinet.

Keeping company with the PDP people specially Saraki is not what he would be comfortable with and that is the truth. Oba Gbadamosi was already a successful businessman before becoming Olofa , so, he has the money to finance his son’s wedding , but you know that ‘so mi kale ni a ma n gbo ni afin, ko si gberumi’ and he must welcome all.

The governor may have been unavoidably absent anyway, he may not have deliberately stayed away and he also reportedly gave the royal family N15million , so , there is no cause for alarm, Kabiesi holds him in high esteem and their relationship remains excellent ‘she said-Team@orientactualmags.com
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