Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Barring any last minute change, the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is now a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Chief Sunday Fagbemi, may emerge as the new state chairman of the party in the forthcoming state congress of the party slated for tomorrow.
Fagbemi, a close confidant of the state Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, according to THISDAY investigations, was said to have been favoured by all odds to lead the party ahead of the 2023 polls due to his past political experiences.
A competent party source, who sought anonymity, told THISDAY yesterday in
Ilorin that the APC leader, Fagbemi, was considered to be more suitable than other contestants who purchased the form for the chairmanship position of the party ahead of the party’s state congress.
The source added that the emergence of Fagbemi as the new chairman of the party in the state was meant to return the chairmanship position to the Kwara South senatorial district that had earlier occupied the position before crisis ensued in the party.
He further said the emergence of Fagbemi would go a long way to mend fences within the members and leaders of the party in order to give the APC a united front before the next general election.
It was gathered that the contestants to the position that had purchased form before have been asked to step down so as to allow the consensus arrangement of the party for the state congress to thrive.
A chieftain of the party, who also sought anonymity, confirmed that Chief Fagbemi remained a loyal and committed leader of the party who is ready all the time to provide quality leadership for the party.
He said: “Chief Sunday Fagbemi is a party man to the core, and he possesses all attributes that would lead the APC to victory in Kwara State in 2023.
The party chieftain, however, called on the members of the party to rally round the incoming state chairman of the party, adding: “There is no rival to the party in the state because any group parading itself has no place to go in the party.”
Meanwhile, a faction of the party in the state led by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is also set for the reelection of Hon. Bashr Omolaja Bolarinwa as their state party chairman.
Sources close to the group told journalists in Ilorin yesterday that the group has concluded arrangement to hold its state congress of the party in a location in Ilorin tomorrow.
It was gathered that delegates from the Kwara North senatorial district of the state have started arriving in Ilorin, the state capital, for the exercise.
When THISDAY visited the state secretariat of the group located in the Flowers Garden GRA, Ilorin, it was revealed that the state secretariat is witnessing a beehive of activities ahead of the state congress of the party.
A chieftain of the party, who is a member of the group, and sought anonymity, confirmed that: “We are holding our state congress of the party to elect state executive members of the party.
“We are loyal members of the APC in Kwara State and would do everything possible to continue to provide quality leadership for the party and the state especially ahead of the 2023 polls.”
She, therefore, called on the members of the party to work together so as to ensure the electoral victory of the party in the next general election in the state.
