A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state loyal to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has warned the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led APC national reconciliation committee against indulging on any act of impartiality, injustice and favoursim so as to move the party forward in the state.
The Abdullahi-led national reconciliation committee of APC on Monday visited Ilorin, the state capital to mediate on the warring factions of the party.
The APC in the state had been factionalised into two groups since the party won the 2019 governorship poll in the state.
One group is led by Mohammed while the other group is led by the state governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Each group has its own state secretariat located at different areas of Ilorin.
However, in a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Sharafdeen Alli in Ilorin, the APC faction said the body language and conduct of the chairman were at variance with stated objective of the committee.
The APC faction recalled that the committee chairman, Senator Adamu, had said during a courtesy visit to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on Monday that, “I am in Kwara state to reconcile genuine aggrieved members of the party in the State, adding that, “we will not accept any action or utterances that can deepen division or rubbish the APC led administration in the state.”
The statement said the statement credited to Adamu was, “prejudicial remark from a man who is expected to be neutral in view of the volatile nature of his assignment.
“We view such belligerent tone as a prelude to what should be expected as the outcome of his input to the committee’s report.”
The statement added, “It is our belief that anyone who uses reason to escape history will end up repeating history. As a prudent statesman heading a reconciliatory committee of this nature, we expect that he would have approached this assignment with caution and tact rather than resorting to emotions by referring to his primordial relationship with one of the parties to the dispute. This, we consider as a clear case of a judge descending into the arena of dispute.
“Regarding the erroneous assumption by the Senator Abdullahi Adamu that the appointments of both Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Senator Gbemisola Saraki as Ministers of the Federal Republic was influenced by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, we wish to put on record that the appointments were graciously made by Mr. President even against the wish of the Governor.”
The faction noted that, “The governor had no inkling neither did he make any contribution or exert any influence on both appointments. His major candidate whose name he submitted for appointment was rejected.
“Besides, the governor went further to stop the appointment of the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Hajiya Farida Dankaka, an attempt which also failed.
“Needless to say that prior to the arrival of the Committee in the state, on January 10, 2022, the parties had been requested to make their presentations in writing which was done.”
The group said further that, “However, while we appreciate the intervention of the committee in finding lasting solutions to the lingering crises in the Kwara APC, we noticed the unpleasant body language and conduct of the Chairman were at variance with the stated objective of the committee.”
