No APC congress in Kwara until full registration – Information Minister

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Saturday reassured aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara state of the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni’s pledge to ensure that all members of the party in the state are duly registered and justice served to grieving members before the party’s congress takes place in the state chapter.

The Minister further said that the National Party Chairman gave them the assurance when he led a delegation of some of the party’s top stalwarts from the state to see the Chaiman in Abuja recently.

The Minister disclosed this on Saturday during the commissioning of the new secretariat building of the Bashir Bolarinwa’s led faction of the party.

Alleged diversion of funds

Alhaji Lai Mohammed also broke his silence on the alleged diversion of the party’s 2018 bye election as well as the 2019 campaign funds.

The Minister denied the alleged diversion of the 2019 elections campaign funds.

The Minister made it clear that he singlehandedly, through family, friends and political associates raised all the funds for the execution of the elections in the state, including the House of Representatives bye election for Irepodun/Ekiti/ Oke-Ero constituency which preceded the 2019 general elections.

“I never diverted APC  2019 general elections campaign funds for my personal use as alleged by the Kwara state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. By the grace of God, I singlehandedly with the support of friends and family raised all the monies for the Oke-Ero/Isin/Ekiti/Irepodun Federal Constituency bye election of November 2019 that brought Hon. Tunji Olawuyi to the House of Representatives. I challenge anybody here to say he gave the party one penny apart from what I gave them. I also challenge anybody here to say he gave logistics support to the party. I did that by the grace of God. I distributed 500 motorcycles and 20 vehicles. And many of the beneficiaries are here today.”

The Minister also challenged those from the other APC block in the state to explain to Nigerians and the people of Kwara APC about what happened to the N70 million that Hon. Olawuyi kept that the Governor refused to bring out during the bye election.

“But for the grace of God and some friends there would be no election in November 2018, because when we raised money we gave them but two days before election we could not reach them through their phones again.

“I had to go to friends to raise another N150 million to prosecute that election. I remember very well that there are 42 wards in that constituency. We thank God today, that was the beginning of our success.

“I say without any fear of contradictions that by the grace of God with the money raised from friends, colleagues and associates we financed the four elections and we scored 100 percent.”

The Minister ascribed the APC victory to God but decried how the present political leadership in the state are neglecting the people that put them there.

Forthcoming nationwide state congress

On the forthcoming nationwide state congress, the Minister said, ” The Acting National Chairman of APC, Mai Mala Buni has assured us that no congress will take place in Kwara until all our members are registered. And that the  congress will be free and fair by the grace of God and we believe his words.”

All other speakers at the event, from the factional Chairman Alhaji Bashir Bolarinwa, to Prof Shuaib AbdulRaheem, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. AbdulGaniyu Cook- Olododo, a former gubernatorial aspirant, Tajudeen Makama, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo and a member of the state House of Assembly, Prince Saheed Popoola all corroborated the Minister’s claims on the campaign funds and the assurance given them by the national leadership of APC that Congresses will not hold in the state until those left behind in the exercise are registered.

Kwara APC in factions

The APC in Kwara state became factionalised shortly after the unprecedented victory at the polls in 2019.

One block is loyal to the state Governor, while the other is loyal to the Minister of Information and Culture.

Emmanuel Ukoh