THE national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, disowned the Interim Chairman of Kwara State chapter of the party, Reverend Bunmi Olusona, who signed the press statement announcing the formation of the splinter group, NewAPC, scheduled for launch soon.

A statement signed by the party's Interim National Secretary, Tijani Tumsah, read: "Our attention has been drawn to one Reverend Bunmi Olusona, who is parading himelf as the Interim Chairman of the APC in Kwara State.

"We hereby state that our party has not inaugurated the interim executive committee in Kwara State, and that the APC stakeholders in the state are working to find a convenient date for the inauguration.

"When that happens, the governor of Kwara State will be saddled with the responsibility of nominating the Interim Chairman.

"Therefore, anyone currently parading himself as the Interim Chairman of the APC in Kwara State is nothing but an impostor who should be ignored by all."

The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all security agencies was called to the claim.

But while reacting, Mr Olusona said he remained the chairman of the party in the state.

"My attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Mr Titanic Tumsah, the Interim National Secretary of the APC, dissociating the leadership of the party from our state chapter. He went on to say that governor Fatai Ahmed will soon pick a state chairman for us.

"My response is simple; I remain the chairman of the state chapter. My powers are derived from our teeming supporters all over the state.

"Secondly, we will not accept your arrangement that cedes the structure of the party here to any new entrant. It is morally wrong and not even expedient. Our struggle lives in the heart of the people of Kwara, whom you have shown so much hatred and disdain for.

"Our struggle is different from that of other states. We have lived under heavy yoke of oppression for 40 years. good people of Kwara carefully selected our platform to free themselves from slavery. we laboured hard to build this platform."