The factional crisis in the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), took a turn for the worse on Thursday.
This was sequel to the news that 11 party loyalists belonging to the faction of the party were loyal to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.
A letter of suspension signed by the National Secretary, Caretaker/Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Senator James Akpanudoedehe, and addressed to Kwara state chairman, Abdullahi Abubakar, was circulated in public space.
Those affected by the suspension were Joseph Tsado, Bamidele Ogunbayo, Issa Fulani, Imam Abdulkadir, Morufu Yusuf, Saludeen Lukman, Kerebu Fatai, Bola Ajani, Nurudeen Fasasi, Salman Shehu Babatunde and Abdullateef Kolawole.
The Lai Mohammed group claimed none of the affected persons had received the letter of suspension.
The Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee in the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari confirmed the suspension.
The Vice Chairman of APC and Senatorial Chairman for Kwara North, Chief Sunday Oyebiyi, who belongs to the Ministers camp disclosed that none of the affected persons had received the letter in question.
Oyebiyi said “The suspension of our members by the NEC/Convention planning committee is a rumour; it is a social media story. I cannot confirm it because none of those mentioned in the report has been served with the letter of suspension.”
However, the state party Chairman, Alhaji Samari said, “The suspension of the 11 members is true. Although we received the letter from the National Secretariat, we have not implemented it because we are working out reconciliation within the party.”
The 11 suspended party members, according to sources, were alleged to have dragged the party to court over the alleged removal of Bashir Bolarinwa, the former state party chairman from office.
It was gathered that the APC approval followed a notice of disciplinary action letter signed by the state Caretaker Committee Chairman, Samari Abubakar and Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Mohammed Salman.
It read in part, “We write to inform you that our State Caretaker Committee in Kwara State constituted a Disciplinary Committee to hear and determine the complaint against Plaintiffs in Suit No: CV/241/2021 btw Jospeh Tsado and 10 others vs All Progressives Congress and 2 others.
“The plaintiffs instituted the above-mentioned suit against the party and flouted the resolution of the National Executive Committee wherein all members were directed not to institute any action and withdraw their cases in Court in order to explore the internal conflict resolution mechanisms of the party.”
However, the APC Caretaker Committee said in a letter that it had approved the recommendations of the disciplinary committee and approved the suspension of the 11 members.
