By Imam Moromoke
The All Progressives Congress, APC Kwara state Chapter has accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of castigation, cheap blackmail, character assassination and incitement, against and among the leadership as-well-as rank and file of the party, which has exposed the Party to public odium and disrepute.
At a press conference addressed by State Executives at the Party secretariat and signed by the Legal Adviser, Barr. Oladimeji Mustapha, APC said political bickering has plagued the party since assumption of office by Gov. AbdulRazaq, noting that the Governor’s “actions, inactions and body language that are encapsulated in taciturnity, are loaded with aggressive hostility and pleasant insults to Party elders and his imaginary adversaries.”
The statement said “It is no longer news that Mall. Abdulrahman AbdulRasaq has been running the affairs of the State only with his family members and a few cronies, to the exclusion of the Party and the people whose sweat and blood produced his electoral victory in 2019.”
“You will recall that Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRasaq seized the occasion of a book launch to throw verbal missiles and scurrilous language against the person and the office of the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed when he made a wild and slanderous allegation of mismanagement of campaign funds for 2019 elections that was fought and won, fair and square, by our party.
“Here is a complainant who had publicly admitted that he contributed not a dime to the electioneering campaign funds, nor ever assisted in the day-to-day running of the party in the State. Yoruba proverb asks: “If anyone could point fingers of blame at a wash man, could it be the one that wets bed?”
“We are put out of countenance by the Governor’s display of incivility and the exposure of our Party to public odium and disrepute by not exploring the party’s internal mechanism to address whatever issues in contention”, it added.
The Party furthered that “Gov. AbdulRazaq’s cup of injustice to party members and his anti-party activities are overflowing and has reached an anticlimax that has turned the party to rags and tatters”, listing allegations against the Governor to include:-
1). Factionalizing the party by floating a group called AA.
2) Tricking the party’s state executives, after several failed attempts to a parley at Kwara Hotels, masterminded by him to remove the State Chairman, Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa.
3). Sponsorship of assault and battery on party leaders and members at a meeting, organised by the Registration Committee at State Banquet Hall, Ilorin.
The party also accused the Governor of sending ‘his thugs’ to assault party loyalists at a meeting in Shao, MORO LGA and at Lafiagi, Edu LGA. Willfully preventing teeming masses from getting registered or get their membership revalidated.
“He aided and abated one Mall. Abdullahi Sanmari to impersonate the position and functions of the State’s Caretaker Chairman of the Party.
“This impostor, Sanmari Abdullahi who is without lawful authority, has been making inflammatory statements to embarrass Alh. Lai Mohammed, who in collaboration with other leaders, led the party to victory that we all celebrate today.”
The party leadership advised Gov. AbdulRazaq to desist from’ anti party’ activities, otherwise, the party may have no option than to apply the provisions of Article 21 of the APC Constitution on him.
