By ANDREW ESSIEN ABUJA
The Crisis currently bedevilling the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State shifted gears to the national headquarters as the national leadership of the party summoned both parties at the centre of the impasse ostensibly to broker peace.
The meeting which lasted about two hours behind closed doors saw both the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, and Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq arrive for the meeting with 10 persons each.
Conspicuously absent at the meeting was the Minister of State for transport, Gbemi Saraki .
LEADERSHIP recalls that crisis had erupted in the state chapter over the removal of Hon Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, as the state chairman by the National Caretaker Committee.
Group loyal to the information minister’s camp led by Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo had told journalists t of the APC in Abuja that the removal will not stand even as he called for an immediate reversal of the decision for peace to reign.
In turn, loyalist of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq under the aegis of Kwara APC Elders Forum carpeted the Ministers of Information and Transport (state), Alh. Lai Mohammed and Sen. Gbemi Saraki respectively over their roles in the ‘destabilization’ of the party in the state, accusing the duo for sponsoring “failed governorship aspirants” against the governor, tagging them as paperweight politicians who have no electoral value.
LEADERSHIP observed the unhappy countenance of the information minister, Lai Mohammed as he left the national secretariat without speaking to media men who were eagerly waiting for his remarks at the end of the meeting fuelling speculations that issues were not resolved.
However, speaking to journalists after the meeting, Governor of Niger state, Sani Bello and member of the Caretaker Committee in charge of the North Central Zone said the matter had been moved to the zone for effective resolution.
Bello added that communication gap was in part, responsible for the crisis and the party was looking into it.
“We looked at the issue surrounding APC in kwara state and we had brief submission from some of the stakeholders and it was involved that the matter should be taken back to the zone for the zone should look at the issues surrounding the problems. I’ll report back to the National caretaker committee so I hope that by next week we should be able to resolve the matter at the zonal level and once that is done, we can put our recommendation to the National caretaker committee for further action.
“I can also say that the causes of this conflict is mostly due to communication gap which I hope we were able to resolve but whatever decision we will take, we will make sure that there is no bias and whatever decision will take, we will make sure that it is in the interest of our great party the APC. We have no intention to favour any person but to look critically at the situation and to advise the National caretaker committee on the necessary steps to take.” Gov. Bello stressed.
