THE INFORMANT247
4-05-2018.
Ahead of the All Progressive Congress ward, Local government and state Congresses, there have been counter-attacks between two factions of the Kwara state All Progressive Congress.
In a statement recently released by the Olayemi Olabanji’s led faction of the party, they kicked against the appointment of Senator Mohammed Ohiare as the Congress Chairman, indicting him of biasness.
“Chief among our observations is the appointment of Senator Mohammed Ohiare as the Chairman of the Congress Committee to supervise the exercise in Kwara State where he tends toward a side”
They accused Senator Ohiare of being a close ally of the Senate President, saying, “Senator Ohiare is a known political ally of Senator Bukola Saraki who has always flaunted his preference and allegiance to Senator Saraki over time. We can conveniently say that Senator Saraki whose ally will supervise the congresses in Kwara State is a just a leader of a faction of the party.”
“The outgoing national executive of the party which we have always communicated on the unhealthy state of the party in Kwara State appears not to be bothered when it pushed someone like Senator Mohammed” Ohiare to Kwara State again.”
Stating further, they insisted that the Balogun-Fulani led faction lacks internal democracy, by pledging allegiance to an individual, which prevented majority of party members from obtaining nomination form.
“We are deeply touched by the display of lack of internal democracy and respect for democratic tenets by the Balogun Fulani led executive that prevented majority of party members from obtaining nomination forms.
“Majority of party members willing to contest for one office or the other were deliberately denied when they met two officials at the secretariat. Those officers who turned them back are Chief Bode Adekanye and Mr. Tunji Buhari.”
“As we have always maintained that you can’t build something on nothing; this congress can’t stand and we call for it total cancellation in Kwara State.”
However, while reacting to this, the Balogun Fulani led faction debunked it, stating that the “Kwara APC has no faction and going into congresses with unison and unity”
“Ahead of party congresses in the ward, local government and State levels in Kwara State, report of emergence of a splinter faction in the party has been confirmed to be untrue and not factual.”
The leadership of the party said it will continue to demonstrate its strong commitment towards internal democracy, consensus building and, inclusive and participatory democracy.
They thereafter assured party members of level playing ground in the forthcoming party congresses and urged them to troop out en mass to participate in the forthcoming ward congress, local government congress and State congress.