The Caretaker Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Abdullahi Samari, has condemned the violence that broke out at the venue of the party’s stakeholders meeting, alleging that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, instigated the fracas that occurred at the venue of the meeting in Ilorin on Wednesday February 3, 2021.
A former Senator in the state, Suleiman Ajadi, also blamed the Minister for the crisis in the state chapter of the party, alleging that Mohammed wanted to make himself a godfather to the Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Speaking in Ilorin at a news briefing on Thursday February 4, 2021, Samari also alleged that some loyalists of the former chairman of the party in the state, Bashir Bolarinwa, masterminded the violence that disrupted the meeting.
He added, “We condemn in the strongest terms possible the show of shame by erstwhile party chairman and my brother, Bashir Bolarinwa, and a few others who are clearly acting on the instruction of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to disrupt the meeting.
“The violent entry by Bolarinwa was unwarranted and embarrassing. He was among the stakeholders invited for the meeting; nobody could have prevented him from joining the meeting. His conduct left so much to be desired and we urge him and other leaders of the party to have deeper introspection as senior citizens. While party democracy is not without its challenges, introducing hooligalism to the mix is not acceptable.”
In a related development, a group of youths in the state chapter of the party, under the aegis of the Concerned Youth Stakeholders of the APC, has asked for the reconstitution of the party’s membership registration and revalidation committee sent by the national leadership of the party.
The group in a statement by John Adegboye called for a new committee “that is not only truly independent but that will be fair and just to all interests in the party without fear or favour.”
