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Today Saturday May 17th 2008, the former Senate Leader, the Waziri of Ilorin clocks a mature age of 75. Dr. Sarki in his political struggle will be remembered for being the committed leader who placed his life, resources and almost everything at his disposal to stop a move to allow a sitting president to have a third term which would have meant a total enslavement of the totality of Nigerians.

This feat, I have no doubt is greatly appreciated by Nigerians hearing from various probe panels how the entire resources of the country were turned into a one man ownership. As someone who has been close to this great political giant for 35 years, I feel the need to share my views with millions of other supporters or admirers of this great man.

Call him Baba grassroots, call him Baba Governor, call him Baba Senator call him Baba Commitment, you will not be wrong.

Dr. Saraki came into my life 35 years ago in what I can call a bad situation but turned out to be period of my life. I was arrested and detained in prison on a booklet I published on the defense of the late Senator Joseph S. Tarka and which the special Branch for the Nigerian Police then doing the work of State Security Service felt was highly explosive and inciting. book was to be launched, I was arrested at the venue and taken directly to kirikiri prison.

After almost three months without being interrogated or taken to a court of law, I sent emissaries to people I knew, among them two Federal Ministers and the Governor of Central Bank who I sought assistance to see that I am either taken to court or be set free. All these people made it clear they would not be involved in what they considered anti-government.

It was at that time a prisoner who had completed his term and with whom I became friendly in Prison informed me of a man called Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, who would assist me if contacted him. I sent him a message, pleading for assistance. That was how Dr. Saraki contacted the authorities and got me interrogated by the then Deputy Commission of Police Mr. Sunday Adewusi.

That was how I was moved from Kin-Kin to Military Hospital, Ikoyi while under tight security Guard. Today that relationship has lasted for 35 years during which period I had been closely related to him paying tribute in celebration of his Seventy-Five years on earth, it is very difficult for me to find words that would adequately do justice and capture the essence of this truly genuine individual, the man whose live, love and assistance to humanity are note fluke. His humility flowed from the inner most recess of his large heart. And he is a giver of no mean proportion. It is nationally and internationally agreed that philanthropy has become his twin brother And in that kind hearted household he found his kindred spirit and outlet of his overflowing milk of human kindness.

Dr. Saraki give what he loves most to his immediate community, of Kwara State, to his family, to his country at every stage of his richly busy life. Dr. Saraki the ever relaxed, ever smiling, ever optimistic and ever sociable, has been touching the lives of many people especially the downtrodden.

For some of us who have been closely associated with him cannot quantify how much threat he went through when the forces of darkness insisted on imposing on the country political emperorship in of Third Term. This heroic and crusading of Dr. Saraki who put up together people of likemind, to save Nigeria at its time of peril that, the political leadership of the county must be zoned to the North after eight years of abuse and waste in the south. This crusade has paid off with the emergence of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In 1979 there were five political parties in the Senate of which Saraki’s party the NPN although has the highest number of senators was still a minority. Saraki was NPN Senate leader; there were PRP, NNP leaders.

But Dr. Saraki was able to demystify and humanized his off motion was moved and adopted which made him Senate i.e to his unique style, of leadership. Dr. Saraki is a true leader will relate and endear himself to all institutionalized corning various religious bodies, traditional institutions which will greatly, market men and women, the youth and students and the swarming army of politicians as well as job seekers.

All these categories of Nigerians found him easily accommodating and the enthronement of public good over considerations. His life style teaches us the virtue of hardy commitment, that even at 75, he continues to try to keep pace workaholic way. Even at this time and age Dr. Saraki attends his associates to night meetings till four or five in the mornings and again three or four hours late. The man Saraki who is 75 years today was born today May 17,2008, Dr.Abubakar Olusola Saraki, the Wazirl of Ilorin clocked the mature age of 75 years as he was born on May 1933.

He was a product of Holy matrimony of Aihaji Mouthpart and Malama Humuani of Agoras compound, Agbaji quarters of Ilorin, coming from an area that has an Islamic background and receiving his Islamic education at an early age from highly respected Islamic scholar Sheikeh Mohammed Kamaladdeen . EI-Adabiyya who was the founder a spiritual leader of Ansarul- Islam Society of Nigeria where he receive his early Islamic education of studying the Holy Qur’an and Hadith.

The boy Saraki then moved to Edward Blyden Memorial School Lagos for the beginning of western education. He later went to Great Britain and .studied at Gatham College of Technology, Gatham, before proceeding to University Medical School, London where he obtain his M.B.B.S. in 1962, LRCP and MRCS also in the same year Dr. Saraki came back to Nigeria from his sojourn abroad to work at the General Hospital, Lagos between March and December 1964.

Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki began his political career in 1964 when he contested for a parliamentary seat to represent Ilorin central at the “Federal House of representative. Although, he lost in the election, but his bried incursion into politics made a significant impression on people. He was to return to active’ political life in 1978 when he represented Ilorin Local Government Area of the then Kwara State in the constituent Assemble, he contested in 1979 for the senatorial” seat of Ilorin as a constituency under the defunct National party of Niger (NPN). He was to become the first Senate leader in the National Assembly of the Second Republic until the military take over of 1983.

Before then he had sponsored candidates into the Ilorin Local Government Council, which they all won. Dr. Saraki with a fee Northern civil servant and technocrats set up what they called People parliament where they were meeting to discuss national issues and offered pieces of advice. I remember at a certain time they got figure that showed ABU students intake from the North was less than 2 percent with the rest coming from elsewhere. Dr. Saraki was mandated to deal with the issue. It was me he sent to the newly turbaned Emir of Zazzau Dr. Shehu Idris who by then has been less than a year on the throne of Zazzau and who met tile University Authorities and the was solved. This was one of the few actions effected without any noise When the final decision was taken to float a new political party in 1978, Dr. Saraki and some others met and came with the NPN after series of meetings at FESTAC town where members of the constitutional committee was being effected.

Dr. Sarah played a vital role in the formation and indeed one of the biggest financiers of National party of Nigeria NPN in 1978. His greatest role was when the civilian administration of Dr. Shehu Shagari took off he became a high player in the field of politics.

Dr. Sarald at that time did not know that, more public acceptability was not enough. He has to go through the hands of the decision makers. He filed his papers for form central seat to the Federal House of Representatives. He lost at the polls. That was indeed a serious political move on his part. He lost his election through the political misrepresentation. The voters were told that Saraki was not an Ilorin man that he was Igbo. At the end he lost. But that political incursion remained in his blood till today. As many people, after first failure, they withdraw from politics. This Dr. Saraki stubbornly refused to back out even a got more involved with his people. His action of taking politics not do die affair endeared him to his people. That was his road to active politics. His first major political victory came when in 1978 he was elected by Ilorin Local Government council Area Kwara State in the Constituent Assembly, which later ratified the 1979 Constitution.

It was at that conference that Dr. Saraki widened his pout horizon that led to the formation of National party of Nigerian NPN. He was one of the major fanciers and indeed one of those who made the party thick. Then came 1979 general election. He contested the Senate sea Kwara Central after he failed to get presidential ticket of the par The NPN succeeded in a political alliance with the Nigeria peoples party to form a national government with Aihaji Shehu Aliyu Shagari as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Due to zooming policy of the NPN, Dr. Saraki was appointed NPN Senate Senator Alhaji Sabo Bakin Zuwo was appointed was peoples Redemption party (PRP) Senate Leader Senator Alhaji? was elected Great Nigeria Peoples Party GNPP Senate Leader. Senator? was equally elected Unity Party Senate Leader.

But a Senator from Bauchi State Ahmed Rufai, having observed the acceptability of Dr. Saraki and how he was able to stabilize the senate despite the fact that NPN had only 35 members out of moved a motion to make Dr. Abubakar Saraki the Senate Leader not Senate NPN Leader.

That was how he became identified as the Leader. He remained the Senate leader in the National Assembly of the Second Republic until the military take over of 1983. Before then, he had sponsored candidates into the Ilorin.

Local Government Council. Under the newly ratified local government reform masterminded by the then Baraden Sokoto They won handsomely, one of them being the late Alhaji Babatunde Alanmu his bossorn friend from childhood.

In 1991, during the build-up to the aborted third republic he was to found the New Democratic Alliance (NDA) which aligned with political associations of similar ethos that fused into the Social Democratic party (SDP) under whose platform he sought for the Presidency before he, along with twenty-two (22) others were denied that opportunity by the General Ibrahim Babangida regime.

He founded the congress for National consensus (CNC) a political party in 1996/97 was unsuccessful due to the inconsistencies by the then late Sani Abacha military junta.

Still undeterred on his ambition, he helped floated the all people party (APP) of this present political dispensation. No doubt about it, the party has witnessed some remarkable success despite series of hitches. He contested for the presidential primaries under this platform. He was a leader of the44Jpeoples party (APP). He later left to join the ruling (PDP) in 2002.

Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki began his political career in 1964 when he contested for a parliamentary seat to represent Ilorin central at the Federal House of representative. Although. he lost in the election, but his brief incursion into politics made a significant impression on people. He was to return to active’ political life in 1978 when he represented Ilorin Local Government Area of the then Kwara State in the constituent Assembly, he contested in 1979 for senatorial” seat of llorin as a constituency under the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He was to became the first Senate leader in the National Assembly of the Second Republic until the military take over of 1983.

Before then he had sponsored candidates into the Ilorin Local Government Council, which they all won.

Dr. Saraki with a few Northern civil servants and technocrats set up what they called Peoples Parliament where they were meeting to discuss national issues and offered pieces of advice.

I remember at a certain times they got figures that showed ABU student’s intake from the North was less than 25 percent with the rest coming from elsewhere. Dr. Saraki was mandated to deal with the issue. It was me he sent to the newly Emir of Zazzau Dr. Shehu Idris who by then has been less than a year on the throne of Zazzau and whom met the University Authorities and the issue was resolved. This jaws one of the few actions effected without any more.

When the final decision was taken to float a new political party in 1978, Dr. Saraki and some others met and came with the NPN after series of meetings at FESTAC town where members of the then constitutional committee Mourned.

Dr. Saraki played a vital role in the formation and indeed one of the biggest financiers. The greatest role was when the civilian administration came on board on October 18t 1979 and he occupied the seat of Senate Majority Leader. But later Senator Ahmed Rufai of the Bauchi North moved a motion to make him a Senate Leader since various parties such as PRP, NPN, GNPP, UPN and NPP has a separate leader. The motion was moved and the whole senate went for it. Dr. Saraki himself was surprised. Being very close to Saraki, I knew members of some parties who opposed him seriously in the senate to please their party leadership only to follow him to his office and portrayed in displaying heir to him, a group of supporters from Sokoto, Kano, and Kebbi States resisted an imposition of any candidate other than Dr. Saraki but pleaded with them to leave everything to Almighty God. And that singular act of a good sportsmanship saved many lives I have been lost. The party’s leadership played a written script of first electing Chief Ogbonaya Onu of Ebonyi state then changed to Olu Falaye with Umaru Shinkafi as a running mate. That was the first time two political parties went into an with majority party accepting to be a junior” partner, which the majority party becoming a presidential candidate.

The leader did not resign from the APP but stayed away from all its activities. In fairness to him, when the party leadership chose to expel him, its state chairmen fought back at the convention, a state governor who was Dr. Sarakis coordinator could be seeing sharing mouthy openly begging the people to vote against Saraki. When all signs showed that Saraki was about to leave the party and join PDP, some PDP members were paid by the ANPP reject. At one point, a top PDP member was heard saying if Saraki joins the party he will take it over. And to this the then Minister of state for Health Dr. Ndalolo hit back, “We need Saraki even if he will take over the party, she then queried,” what the present leaders has to show. They have no local governments, they did not have senators, and they did not have state assembly and then did not have governor.

She said let Saraki come, as she was sure Saraki in the PDP they are assured of a state governor, legislature, majority seats in the house of representative and all the 3 senate seats. And indeed her words are today a reality.

Dr. Saraki is a truly fulfilled family man. Married to a great unassuming lady Mrs. Florence Morenike Saraki with four children, Dr. Bukola Saraki a medical officer and Governor of Kwara state, Senator Rakiya Gbemisola Saraki Fowora an economist, Mrs. Tope Saraki a lawyer and another lawyer Laolu Saraki.