…As all three senators dump minister
The Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has summoned the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, over a parallel State secretariat the minister opened in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
The National Secretariat has reportedly queried the minister to explain why disciplinary measures should not be taken against him for the action.
The State headquarters of the party is located in the Tanke area, while the minister’s faction recently unveiled its secretariat at the GRA, Ilorin.
Following that, the State Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alhaji Samari Abubakar, has threatened to sanction the minister for anti-party activities.
Abubakar said in Abuja on Wednesday that the party may sanction the minister in line with its constitution.
Already, there are indications that the Secretariat has received a report of anti-party activities against the minister.
“I know that Lai Mohammed has been summoned. The Caretaker Committee sent him two letters asking him to explain the rationale behind a factional party secretariat he opened in Kwara,” a source said
The party’s National Secretary John James Akpanudoedehe said he could not deny or confirm the invitation to Mohammed but added that APC leadership would not tolerate anyone who tries to divide the party at any level.
Akpanudoehede said the committee is committed to ensuring peace at all levels of the party, hence “the need to invite the minister to interface with a committee.”
“The minister is an elder and we shall accord him the much respect and the party will not allow anything to put him to disrepute. The party on another hand will no allow anybody to violate its constitution,” the secretary stated.
Meanwhile, the three senators from the State have declared their support for Governor Abdurahman Abdulrazaq, describing their working relationship with him as harmonious.
The senators – Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), Ibrahim Oloriegbe (Kwara Central) and Umar Sadiq (Kwara North) – made the declaration in Abuja on Wednesday.
The trio said they recognize the governor as the authentic leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.
On the crisis in the State, they clarified that all the money realised by the APC in the to prosecute the 2019 elections were judiciously utilised under the leadership of Abdulrazaq.