Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Kwara State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Bashr Bolarinwa yesterday, while discussing the protracted crisis rocking the party in the state, alleged that the ruling party is being threatened as it has been hijacked by “political parties’ marauders” in the state.
Bolarinwa, therefore, called on “all genuine party members to join us in the tortuous task of saving our party from leeches and serial killer jobbers.”
His deputy, Chief Sunday Oyebiyi, disclosed this on his behalf at a press conference at the party secretariat in Ilorin on the simmering crisis rocking the party in the state.
He said: “The party would continue to remain resolute and focused on the task of party building and strengthening based on the principle of cohesiveness and oneness.
“Any other agenda by the agents of divisive politics and their sponsors are anchored by genuine stakeholders in the Kwara project.”
Bolarinwa, who absolved the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, of instigating crisis in the party, explained that the minister provided logistics and support towards the electoral victory of the party in the state.
He said: “Their reference to a cabal is petty, childish and laughable within APC led by Mohammed. They are afraid of their own shadows, and in going down, they are willing to pull any strands with them. The APC will outlive many of them.
“If the memories of these aggrieved people are short, we cannot be accused of same. The struggle to win election was fierce and challenging. During this period of tribulation, it was only Mohammed that we saw. He sponsored the sensitisation programme, provided logistics and other supports requested from him. He stood by us, and together, we navigated the rough roads to victory. This is not news to our traducers; they only choose the part of mischief.”
Bolarinwa, who accused the state Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, of allegedly abandoning the party after the electoral victory of the party last year, added that every effort made till now to make him seen reason has failed.
He said: “At this juncture, we need to reiterate that contrary to the norm, there is disconnect between the governor and the party as well as between the governor and revered party elders.
“This scenario has been in place after the party primaries, during and indeed after the polls. We were also part of the success of the governor at the election petition tribunal, and we went to Government House to congratulate him and even took pictures with him, but these aggrieved party Exco went back on the second day and told the governor that, they are for him and his support group called ‘AA’ support group, and since that time, they decided to exempt themselves from the main stream of the party Exco in the state.”
