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Kwara APC Crisis: Committee shutting out Lai Mohammed, others from registration: Leaders

The group accused the registration committee of dealing only with the governor’s group as against the four blocs within the party in the state.

• February 5, 2021
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Lai Mohammed
Kwara state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed

Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara have rejected the Membership Registration Committee sent to the state by the National Secretariat of the ruling party.

The state chapter of the ruling party has been embroiled in crisis over leadership tussle that has factionalized the party.

The leaders, operating under the aegis of APC Integrity Group, declared that the seven-member committee headed by Sen. John Damboyi is unfit for the registration exercise because of its bias.

They spoke on Friday in Ilorin at a media briefing against Wednesday’s violence that disrupted an APC stakeholders’ meeting held at the Banquet Hall in Ilorin.

The Chairman of the group, Umaru Shaaba, who addressed reporters, said his members were concerned and embarrassed by the festering crisis in the party.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the briefing was attended by chieftains of the party including Iyiola Oyedepo, Niyi Adefila and Isiaka Adio.

Others were Ibrahim Sharafadeen, M.T. Manna, Hon. Ismaila Alale and Hon. Fatai Akorede.

Mr. Shaaba, who questioned the membership of the registration committee, said it could not deliver on the assignment given to it.

“We want to state that from his operations thus far, Senator John Danboi and his members are unfit to do any meaningful party registration and revalidation in the state.

”We therefore reject the committee in its entirety,” Mr. Shaaba said.

Mr. Shaaba accused the committee of dealing only with the governor’s group, and also said there were four blocs within the party in the state.

According to him, the four tendencies in Kwara APC are those of Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, Iyiola Oyedepo, Minister of State for Transportation, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki as well as the Fagbemi group to which the governor belongs.

“He has allowed the governor’s group to nominate and set up registration committees among his group in the 16 Local Government Areas of the state and 193 wards of the state.

“Even all the people that will register as members in all the polling centres are from his very minute group.

“That has been approved by Senator Danboyi Committee,” he said.

Mr. Shaaba also dismissed claims in some quarters that the caretaker chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa, came to the venue of the meeting with thugs.

“We consider the crisis as unnecessary as it is unreasonable.

“That is why all men of good conscience should come out to condemn the violence that the crisis engendered at the venue of the stakeholders meeting convened by the chairman and members of the registration and revalidation committee,” he added.

Mr. Shaaba, however, called on all members of the party in the three groups to go to their polling booths to register, adding that they should not be discouraged because of the ongoing crisis. 

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