AbdulRazaq picked long-standing family staff as deputy governor, says Kwara APC group

By Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

All Progressives Congress (APC) members under the aegis of Integrity Group at the weekend accused Governor AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq’s of taking unilateral decisions, especially on the party’s choice of deputy governor.

The group said he single-handedly changed the choice of Olukayode Abogunrin to Mr. Kayode Alabi, who they described as “a stooge of the governor’s family for decades”.

It described the intra-party wrangling caused by AbdulRazaq’s reference to some pre-election matters as worrisome and embarrassing.

The group said the governor’s frosty relationship with the party became noticeable immediately after he secured the party’s ticket in 2019.

Spokesperson of the group, Abdul-Rahoof Bello, told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital that AbduRazaq after picking the party’s governorship ticket “started declining calls and avoiding contacts with the party’s leadership as well as elders.

“He was taking unilateral decisions, especially on the party’s choice of deputy governor, which he single-handedly changed from Olukayode Abogunrin to Mr. Kayode Alabi, who has been a stooge of the governor’s family for decades.”

Comrade Bello, who was joined by other members of the group, said the last APC membership registration and re-validation in the state was a sham.

“You are not unaware that Governor AbdulRazaq’s group made total mess of the membership registration/re-validation exercise in this state.

“Is it not an antithesis to the catalogue of moralities of ‘Otoge’ philosophy that the product of the struggle was unable to conduct free, fair and transparent demography of our political family (APC)? Nothing could be more shameful indeed!

“While many prospective members were shut-out, the existing family members were deliberately blacken out of the exercise. This necessitated a formal complaints lodged by the Legacy Group to the national leadership of the party.

“Much as we appreciate the positive disposition of the national headquarters to our plights in Kwara State, we hereby appeal to their conscience that justice must not only be done but must be seen to have been done. Otherwise, the corporate existence of our party might be in jeopardy.”

The group, therefore, urged the APC headquarters not to hand over materials for fresh registration and re-validation to the state government or agents.

“Justice demands that complainant in a dispute should not be deprived the fruits of his/her complaints. We ought to take custody of the fresh materials,” the group added.

Bello also said his group opted for a direct congress in the state.

He said “we hereby state categorically that we are fully prepared to go for direct congresses immediately after registration/re-validation exercise. We are not, and shall not be part of the unilateral “consensus” arrangement being proposed by the governor’s group.

The groups also advanced reasons why the Bashir Bolarinwa-led APC acquired a befitting secretariat in Ilorin, the state capital.

The groups said the refusal of Governor AbdulRazaq to get a secretariat that would serve the interest of party members informed the faction’s decision to acquire one.

Spokesperson of the group, Kayode Ogunlowo, who spoke with reporters in Ilorin, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call Governor AbdulRazaq to order ahead of 2023 general elections.”