Date: 2020-03-01

Some aggrieved members of the Kwara State executive council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have accused the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Bashir Bolarinwa of running the party like sole administrator amidst alleged shady financial deals contrary to principles of the party.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Saturday, the aggrieved APC leaders including Abdullahi Samari Abubakar (Deputy State Chairman, APC), Salman Mustapha lsowo (State Secretary), Hon. Olabanji Olayemi (Kwara South Senatorial Chairman), Tajudeen Folaranmi Aro, (State Publicity Secretary) and Hon. Oyinloye Oyelere (State Youth Leader) said that the party had been enmeshed in internal schism occasioned by dissatisfaction expressed by a bloc of the State Executive Committee against the leadership of Alhaji Bolarinwa.

"Unfortunately, rather than address the sundry issues that bother on the lack of accountability, transparency, equity, fairness, sacrosanctity of the provisions of the party's constitution and our demand for same, a cabal within the party executive led by the Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the state chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa, are deliberately diverting attention from the real issues and instead blaming some imaginary forces for the rising opposition against their autocratic leadership," the group alleged.

Meanwhile, members of a political group in the party loyal to the Kwara APC chairman and the minister of Information, under the aegis of the Kwara APC Integrity Vanguards (KAIV), have reacted in a statement, saying that allegations of the aggrieved APC exco members are illogical allegations drawn from speculations against the party chairman and the minister with a sinister motives to heat up party politics in the state.

The statement signed by its national coordinator and publicity secretary, Abdullahi Yinka Onimasa and Kayode Aliyu Bamidele, respectively, said the party leaders were acting divisive script of their sponsor, "targetting our state chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa, the minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and other notable leaders of our party who have invested their times, energies and resources, but have today become targets of their daily verbal missiles. This is a clear case of an ingrate king who go for the jugular of those who made him.

"First, we want everyone to know that this is not the first time these people would come up with a sinister motive to heat up party politics, stir up the chairman's emotions so as to give their power-obsessed sponsor avenue to dismantle the validly constituted party structures and replace with appointments seekers".

The group said that Bolarinwa did not mismanage the party funds which came in form of donations, asking, "How else will Bolarinwa be expected to be transparent when the party operating guidelines requires not less than three (3) party officials including the Secretary who's part of these aggrieved excos to sign chequebooks?

"Where then is sincerity in their agitations when they turned their backs to deny party's decision which they were not only part of but also benefited from?

Talking on visitation to local government areas of the state by the party chairman, the group said that, "A genuine party member will not frown at the present exercise being embarked upon by the state executives led by Bolarinwa. Or why should visitation aimed at strengthening the party be a problem to them if they are not having a hidden agenda

However, the aggrieved members of the Kwara APC exco had accused the party chairman of financial misappropriation, recklessness and lack of fiscal discipline, saying, "As at Saturday, there is no evidence of a properly documented record of the party's financial transactions. No records of inflow and outflow of funds, no evidence of compliance with the principle of internal control."

The APC leaders said the Chairman had made sustained efforts to frustrate the audit process in clear breach of the extant provisions of the Party's Constitution he swore to uphold while the party hierarchy is constantly embarrassed by the failure or refusal of a leader of the party from the state, indeed a Minister, who received hundreds of millions of naira from Governors, captains of industry, and other stakeholders on behalf of the state chapter of the party ahead of the 2019 general election but never gave a kobo to the party or accounted for same.

"This failure to declare the good gestures of these donors made it difficult for the party to officially send appreciation letters to them, especially following the huge success the party recorded. Sadly, this has been the trademark of this individual throughout the political struggle in the state." the leaders said.

"More worrisome is the refusal of BOB to acquire a befitting accommodation for the Party even after donations running into Millions of naira were sought and received from our Party stakeholders when most of them were still Aspirants. Regrettably today, we (as a Party) are housed in a wing of an apartment used for personal and political purpose by one of our respected Party chieftains. How does asking for the whereabouts of the money meant for the office accommodation become a crime in a Party like ours? All that is requested is accountability and nothing more."

"We equally wonder how the request for the sources, modes of distribution and minutes of Executive Committee's approval for such distribution become a crime to a Chairman of the Party that came to power on the strength of OTOGE mantra? As members of the State Executive, it is not lost on us the high responsibilities that come with such overwhelming support given to our Party by Kwarans. How we run our Party should be a model for others in party administration and discipline."

The leaders explained that they represent thousands of party men and women who are thoroughly dissatisfied with their (BOB's) lack of inclusion and respect for multiple opinions.

The APC executive members however condemned the alleged attack on the convoy of the Chairman's convoy in Moro and enjoined the security agencies to do the needful in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

They admitted that members and leaders in Moro are thoroughly aggrieved that the party chairman and his men continue to hold on to the party's register in manners that violate ethics of transparency and democracy.

"While violence is never an option, we believe that the chairman should address these issues rather than always seeking to blame everything on some imaginary forces. Like Kwarans did in March with their Otoge tsunami, every human being has their boiling point if oppressed and alienated for too long."

They urged the Chairman to make the environment friendly enough to provide answers to all the issues raised by saving himself and the Party the embarrassment of the current accommodation, using part of the money raised then for another accommodation befitting of a ruling Party with wonderful, selfless and committed members.

"The Chairman should restrain his media warriors from doing the job of the police by apportioning blames before investigation since the security agencies, we believe, have been properly briefed and we trust are better motivated to deal with all forms of crimes, given the kind of support they now enjoy from our government."

They committed to pursuing peace, unity and oneness of the Kwara APC family that is built on the foundation of trust, accountability, respect for rules and shared responsibilities.