The crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken another dimension as the faction created by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has threatened to pull out of the party if its national leadership does not “heal the wounds”.
The Kwara APC has been torn into two parallel shreds following the supremacy battle between the minister and the governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, over the control of party structure in the state.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Lai Mohammed faction, Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, has said the chairman of the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, should be held responsible if defections hit the state chapter of the party.
He stated this at the weekend while speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the Sallah get-together for party stakeholders and their spouses drawn from across the 16 local government areas of the state.
He said, “The national leadership of the party is toying with Kwara. We have told them the reality on the ground and they appear not to be interested in sincerely addressing the genuine grievances of the majority of party members; all in the name of solidarity with their colleague.
“I want it to be on record that if mass exodus or implosion should hit Kwara APC, Buni and his people should be held liable. This is a party Kwara people built with their sweat, yet some few people are taking them for granted.
“Up till now, we have not seen any party membership registration in Kwara State, yet they announced extension of registration on paper and refused to send registration materials to the field.
“The option open to us if the status quo remains is we are coming up with a concrete plan. Is that not that a subtle way of encouraging party members to find abode somewhere else? Why is the national leadership of the APC hell bent on sending almost 80 per cent of its membership strength out of the party? What do they stand to gain?
“If they eventually refuse to do the bidding of the majority, whatever comes of it they will be solely responsible.”
When contacted, the Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Sen John James Akpan Udo-Edehe, told our reporter to send a text message, but he did not send any response at the time of filing this report.
