BUKOLA SARAKI: POTRAIT OF A MASTER POLITICAL STRATEGIST
A POLITICAL PROFILE COMPILATION BY
CERUTTI M.OSAGIE
*Bukola Saraki: Profile of an Ambitious
Political Gatekeeper
1. He was born in 19 December, 1962, and
is originally a medical doctor.
2. His
father is Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, a onetime Senate president (1979 – 1983)
in Nigeria.
3. He
studied medicine at the London Hospital Medical College of the University
of London from 1982 to 1987 and practiced as a medical doctor at Rush
Green Hospital in London.
4. His political career kick
started when he was appointed by the former president Olusegun Obasanjo his
special assistant on budget issues in 2000.
5. He was
the one who initiated the Fiscal Responsibility Bill and served on the
Economic Policy Coordination Committee.
6. On 2003
under the umbrella of the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, he
ran for and won the governorship of Kwara state.
7. He was Kwara state governor for
two terms, from 2003 till 2011, and had mostly positive reviews of his job.
8. He
was the first Nigerian governor to be awarded the national honour, a Commander
of the Order of the Niger (CON).
9. Many governors have tried to
copy Saraki’s community health insurance scheme, environmental ‘Clean and
Green’ scheme and agricultural transformation scheme, which have been praised
as one of the reasons Kwara is a profitable and clean state.
10. Before
becoming a senator, he was the former chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s
Forum.
Saraki’s fierce opponent, Senator Ahmed Lawan of Borno state who won the
APC domestic polls, was not nominated.
9. Many governors have tried to
copy Saraki’s community health insurance scheme, environmental ‘Clean and
Green’ scheme and agricultural transformation scheme, which have been praised
as one of the reasons Kwara is a profitable and clean state.
10. Before
becoming a senator, he was the former chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s
Forum.
Saraki’s fierce opponent, nominated. This piece was
originally reported by NAIJA.COM
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