…Factional Chair Calls For Peace
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
The crisis in the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, that has taken another bringadage dimension, appears not to be abating soon.
This has further factionalised the party, with the different factions engaging in a free for all at a supposed stakeholders’ meeting, aimed at bringing a truce in Ilorin, the state capital, inflicting injuries on one another.
The APC interim national caretaker committee, under the leadership of Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Bunu had of late first announced the then incumbent state chairman, Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa, as the Caretaker Committee Chairman pending the convention of the party, only to make a u-turn and announced his erstwhile deputy, Alhaji Samari Abubakar, as the new caretaker chairman.
It was the latter announcement that however ignited fire, even when there had been a ligering frosty relationship among members who had hitherto grouped themselves into quiet factions.
The matter had become so bad that the warring divides had been carved to be that of the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on the one hand and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on the other hand.
The two factions had held different press briefing in Ilorin on Wednesday, where they openly traded accusations and counter-accusations, blaming each other for the party’s woes in Kwara State.
First to address the media were youths under the aegis of the Concerned Youth Stakeholders of APC, who demanded for the recall of the Revalidation/Registration Committee, led Senator John Danboi, who organized the stakeholders’ meeting.
The youths, said to be loyal to Alhaji Mohammed passed a vote of no confidence on the committee, saying that it could not be fair in its assignment, but instead, end up heating up the tensed situation in the party.
However, at another press conference, addressed by the factional chairman, Alhaji Samari, the violent break in into the venue of the party’s stakeholders meeting, allegedly by some loyalists of Hon. Bolarinwa, was highly condemned.
Samari said, “The violent destruction of the entrance door, allegedly by some party members with Hon. Bolarinwa was unfortunate and uncalled for.”
Adding that some persons have already been arrested for the infraction, he revealed, “We are shocked at the level of barbarism on display yesterday. It was unwarranted and embarrassing.”
The factional chairman argued that Hon. Bolarinwa was among the stakeholders invited for the meeting and that nobody could have prevented him from joining the meeting.
Samari urged Hon. Bolarinwa and other leaders of the party to have deeper introspection as senior citizen, saying “While party democracy is not without its challenges, introducing hooligalism to the mix is not acceptable.
“Whatever that is happening is within what is accommodated in a democracy. This development should not make us enemies to one another.”
He also said that the registration exercise is being coordinated by the Danboi-led committee, stressing that the stakeholders’ meeting was meant to brief everyone in the party on the modalities to be adopted for the process in Kwara.
