Date: 2018-06-08

NEW executive members of the All Progressives Congress APC in Kwara state have been inaugurated, following conduct and affirmation of recent party congresses in the state by its national leadership.

This is just as a faction of the party in the state, led by Chief Bashir Bolarinwa, has threatened to take the legal option to resolve the alleged crisis that followed recently conducted party congresses in the state.

Speaking during the brief swearing-in ceremony in Ilorin on Wednesday, the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Isola Balogun-Fulani, advised new members of the executive in the ward, local governments and state to carry along every member to move the party forward in the state.

He described forthcoming 2019 general elections as a crucial one in the state, called on them to work for the success of all representatives of the party in the elections to sustain its popularity.

Meanwhile, a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state, led by Chief Bashir Bolarinwa, has threatened to take the legal option to resolve the alleged crisis that followed recently conducted party congresses in the state.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, the factional publicity secretary of the party, Chief Kayode Oyin-Zubair, alleged that members of the party were prevented from obtaining nomination forms by the state executive of the party prior to the Congress.

The development, he said, led to the faction holding its parallel state congress at Arca Santa event centre, Ilorin, while the other faction led by Alhaji Ishola Balogun-Fulani held its congress at the banquet hall of the Government House, Ilorin.

"We must restate here, what led to the Arca Santa congress. We had a running battle with the Balogun- Fulani led APC executive committee during the ward congress when we were looking for nomination forms after we had successfully paid prescribed fees by the national secretariat into designated banks.

"There and then, we decided that to prevent loss of lives, having seen the desperate move of the faction, we did the local government of May 12, 2018, separately across the state.

Our congress was not only well attended, it had all relevant agencies of government saddled with the responsibility of overseeing party activities in attendance", he said.

He argued that his faction held its state congress at a right venue, saying that venue of the Congress by the other faction did not conform to party guidelines.

"The party guideline for the Congress was explicit. It says that the election shall take place at the party's state headquarters of APC. If for any reason, such place becomes unsuitable, the State Congress Committee shall identify a convenient and conducive venue for the state congress (provided it is not private residence or office) ", he said.

The APC faction also urged the national publicity secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, to encourage national working committee NWC of the party to use political solution to resolve the crisis like it happened in Oyo state.

The factional publicity secretary said that the group remained determined in the pursuit of the matter, adding that nothing had changed.