The phone will stop ringing vociferously as it had for the past almost two decades. The perks and panoply of power would be stripped off and Toyin, wife of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, would readjust to life as an ordinary wealthy woman from May 29th. The reality might take a while to dawn on her but it is what it is, her husband has lost out in a high stake power game that may sound the death knell for his political career.
Dr Saraki lost his bid to return to the National Assembly after being trounced by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Ibrahim Oloriegbe. As if that were not enough jeopardy, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, lost to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. The Senate President served as the Director General of the PDP’s Presidential Campaign Organisation.
By hook or crook, Saraki had never personally lost an election.
A trained medical doctor, he became governor of Kwara State with the backing of his father, Oloye Olusola Saraki, a respected Senator in the Second Republic. He won a re-election in 2007 and after his tenure, succeeded in installing his preferred candidate, Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed, against the wish of his father who wanted another child, Gbemi, to succeed him. This polarised the family until the elder Saraki died in 2011. Saraki went to the Senate in 2011 and in his second coming, emerged the very powerful Senate President.
Interestingly, however, Toyin transmuted from an ordinary Senator’s wife to Nigeria’s number three woman, an unofficial position that allowed her wield enormous power and influence. Toyin was born into affluence being the daughter of preeminent boardroom guru, Otunba Adekunle Ojora. Her marriage into the powerful Saraki political family gave her a different kind of leverage. But she was a different kind of wife, as sources close to her maintain.
A diva of sort whose attitude stems from oodles of superiority complex topped by sheer political power, she was a real piece of work and had no qualms effortlessly putting herself on top of others, and reportedly doesn’t mind to snub you right in front of your face. She was accused of also acting like one didn’t exist while trying to make basic conversation with her. Omolewa, wife of the Kwara State governor is regarded as one of her victims.
Despite being the First Lady, Omolewa can hardly sneeze without permission from Mrs Saraki. In fact, just like her husband has the governor in his pocket, Toyin has Omolewa in her purse. It was her way or no way. Saraki’s siblings like Gbemi and Laolu don’t see eye-to-eye with her because of her haughty nature.
Though money would never be the problem for her till her old age, all of her attitude would come back to hit her in the backside now that her hubby’s political career has stalled. Pretty soon, all those who grovel and fawn before her would move on to new power bases. While those who sing her praises online and offline, making her feel larger-than-life would automatically cease, leaving her and her husband to brave the drudgery and new reality alone. (The Capital)
