By Kayode Abdulazeez, Ilorin
The crisis rocking Kwara All Progressive Congress, APC, seems to be taking a new dimension that a real party loyalist, most especially those that risked their lives and worked tirelessly to ensure the party took over the control of the governance in the state from former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki in the last general elections.
Although, all that is happening in the party at moment seems not to be new to political analysts, due to the ways and manners the primary elections were conducted without producing a unanimous candidate for the party.
It would be recalled that many of those aspirants during the primaries were laying claims to the victory of the election most especially, Professor Shuaibu Oba AbdulRaheem, who was boasting of having results of that election and he was leading other candidates in many polling units before it was suddenly stopped half way.
The choice of direct primary by the party itself was believed to be programmed to fail, given the peoples’ views, considering how cumbersome it could be. It eventually turned out to be true for it not provided the clear winner.
Nevertheless, the party is expected to give glory to God and the spirit ofsportsmanship displayed by Hon. Mashood Mustapha and Mallam Salihu Mustapha who had every opportunities to endanger the chance of the party to have a candidate in the governorship election, due to the way the duo was unceremoniously disqualified at the early hour of the primary through a broadcast from Radio Nigeria, Idofian, under the supervision of Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, the then leader of the party in the state .
Should one of the duo decided to take the disqualification up at the law court, the party would have lose out totally in putting forward a candidate for the governorship election, just like what happened in River State, where APC, could not present a governorship candidate for the last general election.
Thanks to the National Chairman of the Party, Comrade Adam Oshiomole and other National leaders who quickly appealed to the duo and issued them apology letters on behalf of the party and probably promised them something better at the federal level and declared Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq the winner of the primary as they all shield their swords bowing to the anointed candidate from The Presidency and National level of the party.
APC eventually defeated a force that has been dominating the state Politics for sixteen years, with well-rooted structure across the political wards in the state, in all the elective positions that contested. This was made possible by coming together of all the political gladiators across the state that were opposing Bukola Saraki Political system, they all jettisoned their personal interests and deployed resources in favoured of APC and all their candidates to ensured they come out victorious.
AbdulRahman finally swore-in as the Executive Governor of the state with the hope that he would operate an all-inclusive government by carrying everybody along.
Now, AbdulRahman is fully in position of authority and many see him as someone they must please and do all sort of things for in order to secure his favours in terms of political patronage, like; appointments, contracts and many more.
But, His Excellency needs to realise that it is too early for his government to be giving some people attention on their destructive move to destabilize the party that worked for his victory. By deceiving him that he must hijacked the party structure and made his loyalists executive of the party from state chairman to all the 16 local governments. Is it because of 2023 or what?
It all started like a rumour, until Ilorin South party Chairman was removed from office in an unceremonious manner, despite, the warning from the State Working Committee to all the party members across the state to follow the party laid down procedures in removing their chairmen or other executive members that must have committed one offense or the other.
After that, some people were also alleged to be gathering signatures of vote of no confidence on the state chairman of the party, Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa in all sixteen local governments, and some party stalwarts alleged that those people were being sponsored by the Governor AbdulRahaman, which many also doubt the allegation, and said the people behind such moves are attention seekers and sycophancies that only looking for ways to get Governor’s attention. But, be it true or false, many still believe that body language of the Governor is pointing in that direction.
Although, a source close to the Governor made it known that, AbdulRahman is not the one behind all the moves by some people trying to replace some party leaders at the local government levels. Which I want to share the same sentiment too, because, to me, it’s politically unwise for Governor that emerged on the love of majority to now start premature politicking against 2023 without any tangible achievement to point to as a Governor.
However, in a statement released by the state, APC, chairman, Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa on Monday, stated that, “ In the aftermath of the wanton and reckless removal of Party officers by a congregation of disgruntled, selfish and attention seeking elements in the party, those involved must desist from perpetrating unconstitutionality and discord within the party”
“Decried a situation where one would labour to build a house and be hell bent on destroying same”
He stated further that “those who have murdered sleep would no longer find peace, as all the organs of the party would no longer condone such recklessness and activities inimical to the growth and unity of the Party through the application of appropriate sanctions”
He, however, declared as null and void, all suspension of officers embarked upon without due diligence and as laid down by the party’s constitution.
The above statement from number one party man in the state and many more stories is a pointer that all is not well within APC, in kwara.
There were also a lot of secret complaints of not being carried along in the constitution of cabinet coming from many party gladiators that contested the governorship primary election with Governor and to a large extent that some had even lose hope in this present administration.
Although, the Governor was claiming that he was ready to set standard in Kwara politics, departed from outgone government that was alleged of fun of sharing public funds to please few politicians in the state with little left for capital projects, which I believe is good too. Governor must equally know that some people also invested heavily in the election that produced him and such people deserved to be given a sense of belonging in the governance of the state.
Obviously, the acclaimed achievements that Governor celebrated in his 100 days in office are far below expectations, Kwarans deliberately stomach it simply because, it would be too early to start criticizing the government they fought with tooth and nail to enthrone.
It is instructive for His Excellency to realise that the honeymoon is fast-fading away, people are expecting serious performance from him, in term of capital projects, clear-cut policy direction of his government, not to talk of civil servants expectations on salary increment and many more.
It is however expected that His Excellency should carry Politicians along, most especially the experienced ones, as a Governor, he already had the plan of how he wanted to develop the state. His appointees either politicians or technocrats as they are usually called are only coming to carry out his vision plan, more importantly, sincerity of purpose from His Excellency himself should not be compromised.
In conclusion, hard earned political liberation, many Kwarans believes to be enjoying at moment must be well-managed and judiciously guided. His Excellency must know that the political future of anti-Sarakis largely lies in the outcome of his administration. Moreover, it is time to prove to the people that he has what it takes to call the shot in the state.
- Abdulazeez is an Ilorin based Journalist and writes from Ilorin, the Kwara State capital
