Kwara APC registration marred by violence

A video circulating on social media on Wednesday, shows members fighting, breaking heads and destroying government properties.

ELFREDAH KEVIN-ALERECHI • February 3, 2021

Political rally used to illustrate the story

The membership registration and revalidation excercise of the All Progress Congress (APC) has turned violent in Kwara State following disagreement among members, Peoples Gazette learnt.

On Tuesday, hundreds of APC members staged a protest in Ilorin, the capital city, over a suspected move to hijack the membership registration exercise by a faction of the party.

Members threatened to disrupt the membership registration exercise in the state due to failure of the national working committee to address the undercurrent issues, ThisDay reports.

The outlet noted that the protesters were mainly supporters of Information minister Lai Mohammed, Minister of State for Transport, Gbemisola Saraki, and Iyiola Oyedepo, a popular party chieftain.

A video circulating on social media on Wednesday, shows members fighting, breaking heads and destroying government properties.

The cause of the imbroglio is immediately unclear but the poster of the video alleged that the fight was between supporters of the embattled state party chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa, and a claimant to his seat, Abdullah Samari.

There has been lingering crisis in the state chapter of the APC. The Samari-led faction is said to be loyal to the governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who is pushing for the ousting of Mr. Bolarinwa who is backed by Lai Mohammed and other bigwigs.

Punch reports that the embattled state chairman of the party, Bashir Bolarinwa has always insisted that he remains the authentic chairman of the party.

In January 2021, a faction of the Kwara APC led by Mai Mala Buni caretaker committee in a statement in Abuja announced the removal of Mr. Bolarinwa and appointed Mr. Samari as the acting chairman.

The group accused the Mr. Bolarinwa of campaigning against the Governor Abdulrazaq.

The APC seems to be embroiled in bitter contentions over party structures across the country. Similar issues are currently facing the Rivers State chapter of the APC, the Gazette learnt.

Power brokers and members with ambitions in the next elections in 2023 are positioning to have their lackeys in strategic party positions.

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