By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Governors, particularly those in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are behind every political crisis in Nigeria, a stormy member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Saheed Popoola, has said.
Popoola, who himself is a member of the APC and representing Ojomu/Balogun state constituency in the House of Assembly, expressed a strong belief that governors under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, are behind the political crisis in both the ruling party and the country at large.
Popoola averred the governors are the chief instigators of party crisis in their respective states and they further go from there to frustrate efforts aimed at granting autonomy to both local governments and the states Houses of Assembly.
However, he said this is despite the fact of the efforts by President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Executive Order 10, allowing for autonomies to relevant tiers of governance.
Popoola said, “You can see for yourself what has happened with the Electoral Ammendament Bill, how they forced the President not to sign it into law.
“The NGF is too powerful and unless something is done about it, I am not sure we would have good governance in the country.”
Hon. Popoola made this assertion at a no-hold-barred interview with journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
Speaking earlier about his achievement as a lawmaker, Hon Popoola said constituencies now look up to lawmakers to perform duties that are constitutionally meant to be performed by the local government councils across Nigeria.
He said, “All the local councils are now dead, because the governors want it so. They are now bringing the same thing to APC and if care is not taken, what happened to APC in the Anambra State governorship election might happen to the party across the country.”
