Kwara APC Rejects Nabena’s Move to Take over Position of Party’s Spokesman

Kwara APC Rejects Nabena’s Move to Take over Position of Party’s Spokesman

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday rejected the purported move by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Yekini Nabena to “take over” the position of the National Publicity Secretary of the party, currently and legitimately being occupied by Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.

The party said the move was against the zonal arrangement of the party that was originally zoned to the North-central and which Kwara State is part of.

APC, in a statement in Ilorin by the state chairman of the party, Hon. Bashr Omolaja Bolarinwa, said: “The purported Sokoto court order, Mr. Nabena seeks to profit from restrains the party from appointing or electing Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu for the position of APC National Publicity Secretary was a process legally concluded by the North-central zone in July 2019 in Abuja.”

According to him, “For a position that has been zoned to the North-central zone and micro zoned to Kwara State, we of the Kwara State APC solidly and unanimously would stand in defence of our rightful position of the APC National Publicity Secretary and the candidate of Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.

“We call on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to do the needful and allow Mallam Lanre Issa-Onllu remain the occupant of the office without any hindrance whatsoever in the interest of peace, justice and equity.

“We received with shock and dismay a statement credited to the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Yekini Nabena stating his intention to “takeover” the office of the Party’s National Publicity Secretary currently and legitimately occupied by Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu following an interpretation of a purported court order.

“The purported Sokoto court order Nabena seeks to profit from restrains the party from appointing or electing Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu for the position of APC National Publicity Secretary. This was a process legally concluded by the North Central zone in July 2019, in Abuja and we seek none of these in March 2020. In any case, the procured Sokoto court order has elapsed and no longer in effect”

“In Nabena’s attempt to announce his ‘takeover,’ he has failed to avail himself of the legal requirements for APC National Offices.. It is necessary and important we allow ourselves to be guided by the rules and hopefully desist from going down the rabbit hole.”

Bolarinwa added: “Following the APC zoning arrangement which has been respected and strictly adhered to, National offices are filled through the convention or replacement from the zone (which applied to Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) whenever there’s vacancy.

“Recall that in July 2019, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu was confirmed, after a period in acting capacity as the APC National Publicity Secretary, he was unanimously elected unopposed following a ratification by the party’s North Central Zonal Executive Committee meeting and Mini Convention held in Abuja.

“The unanimously approved motion for ratification was moved by the Nasarawa State Party Chairman, Hon. Philip Shekwo and seconded by the Kogi State party Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bello.

“The Kwara State chapter of the APC call on the National Working Committee (NWC) to do the needful and allow Mallam Lanre remain the occupant of the office.

“Finally, we advise our members to be mindful and key into President Muhammadu Buhari-led measures aimed at bringing peace and repositioning our great party and no member should allow himself to be used as a destabilising agent.”

Related Articles