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Tag: Bashir Bolarinwa

  • Police arrest four over killing of Kwara APC members

    The Kwara state police command on Thursday arrested four persons in connection with the attack on All Progressives Congress (APC) Kwara South senatorial district candidate Lola Ashiru.

    Suspected hoodlums loyal to Kwara south Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Rafiu Ibrahim had on Tuesday allegedly attacked the campaign train of Architect Ashiru in Ojoku, Oyun local government area of Kwara state, killing two APC members in the process.

    No fewer than eight people still in the hospital also sustained bullet wound injuries and about 20 vehicles belonging to the APC chieftain were allegedly vandalized.

    The PDP in the state had disagreed with the allegation, accusing APC thugs of allegedly attacking its members and inflicting bullet injuries on six.

    Spokesperson of the command, Ajayi Okasanmi told THE NATION in a telephone the command was closing in on other suspects of the dastardly act.

    Read Also: Polls: Police reads riot act to politicians, hoodlums in Imo

    “Manhunt for the remaining fleeing suspects had since begun, while discreet investigation of the incident is ongoing.

    “For the umpteenth time, the command is restating its commitment to the safety of lives and property of the people of Kwara state.

    “While warning sternly that hooliganism, thuggery,  unlawful possession of firearms and other dangerous weapons will be met with superior forces and suspects arrested will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

    “Political party leaders are reminded of the peace accord they signed with respect to political campaigns in the State.

    “The command is appealing to the victims of this attack and their

    sympathizers not to result to self-help but to have confidence in the command that justice will not only be done but will be seen to have been done in this case,” Okasanmi.

    State Chairman of APC Hon Bashir Bolarinwa has urged security agents to investigate the matter bring perpetrators to book.

  • APC to INEC: Don’t compromise your integrity

    All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against compromising its integrity and neutrality in the deployment of ad-hoc staff in the state, during the forthcoming general elections.

    Kwara state Chair of APC Chairman, Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa said the party has received information that those being posted across Kwara as Electoral Officers (EOs) and Technical Staff were nominated and trained by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    He also cited the case of an EO who was caught hiding boxes of ballot papers in an office in Kwara North by a vigilant Department of State Service (DSS) officer.

    He added that when the EO was forced to open the office by the DSS office he admitted to hiding the boxes, but claimed it was a mistake.

    Read Also: APC demands daily briefing from INEC

    Hon. Bolarinwa said: “We have also been inundated with the information that the technical staff in particular, most of whom are trained ICT experts, are known PDP members and are under strict instructions to manipulate the card readers in favour of the PDP.

    ”It is totally unacceptable that INEC, which is the umpire, will work in cahoots with any political party or even accept a list of ad-hoc staff from the parties. We are therefore calling on the security agencies to put all INEC staffers under strict surveillance to forestall any attempt to compromise them. On our part, we will also ensure that the process is not compromised by tainted staffers.

    ”As we have always said, we want a level playing field for all the political parties contesting the elections in the state. It is only then that the people can most freely exercise their franchise, and the oarty which has the support of the people will emerge victorious.”

    APC chair asked INEC to make available to all the parties the record of the sensitive materials they will be

    deploying to all local governments and wards across the state, ahead of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    He said that would enable the parties to know what is deployed where, adding that it would forestall attempt by desperate politicians bent on rigging the elections.

     

  • Kwara APC hails Appeal Court judgment

    All Progressives Congress ( APC ) Field Operations Directorate (FOD) of the Presidential Campaign Council in Kwara state has hailed the Appeal Court judgement recognising the Hon Bashir Bolarinwa executives.

    By that judgement, the court also validated the authenticity of the nomination of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as the Kwara state APC governorship candidate.

    In a statement Deputy Coordinator, Field Operations of the directorate, Kayode Oyin-Zubair said, “the procured judgement couldn’t have stood further judicial tests. We knew from the onset that the whole process was orchestrated to weaken our support base and cause confusion amongst our supporters.

    “The authenticity of Bashir Bolarinwa executive was today affirmed by the appellate court. Earlier today an end was put to the shenanigans of Saraki and his cohorts here and there.

    “We have always held that they can only run, there is no hiding place for them. The judiciary has shown that it couldn’t be bought, though a lower court judge allowed himself to be manipulated for a price.

    “This is another serious low for Bukola Saraki in quick succession after he was shown a red card by the people of Kwara State during the presidential campaign in Ilorin.

    “We congratulate our party leaders, members and teeming supporters across the state for standing with us since the struggle started,” the statement stated.

    Oyin-Zubair therefore, enjoined all members of APC and its supporters in the state to come out enmass this Saturday to vote President Muhammadu Buhari and all APC candidates.

  • Former Kwara deputy speaker, others defect to APC

    Thousands of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Kaiama, Kaiama local government area of Kwara state have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    The defectors led by the former deputy speaker of the Kwara state House of Assembly, Hon Mohammed Suka-Baba, formally declared for the APC in Verna ward of Kaiama local government area.

    The defectors openly burnt the membership cards of their former party. H

    Giving reasons for his defection, Suka-baba said his resolve to defect to APC was borne out promptings from his supporters in the area.

    Said he: “As a Fulani man, I am defecting to APC because my people want APC; I want to say I am back as I was a founding member of APC in the state. APC is a progressive party and anybody that wants the
    progress of Kwara state and Nigeria, in general, must join APC.

    “I am not joining APC to create any faction in the party. I still talk to some of them in PDP to join the party of the progressives which APC.

    “I am also assuring that by next week we shall be receiving large number of PDP members from Kwara north who will be joining the APC. I am confident that my coming will more people to join the APC in the entire Kwara state.”

    Receiving the defectors, the state APC Chairman Hon Bashir Bolarinwa said Suka-baba was spurred by the retrogression in his community to decamp to the APC.

    Read Also: Buhari, Osinbajo, others lay wreaths for heroes

    Said he: “Hon Sukababa is leaving the party of darkness to that of light; we are here today because a politician means well for his community is joining the APC. APC is not a party that makes unfulfilled promises.

    “PDP knows that it has lost the forthcoming elections that is why it has resorted to engaging in violence and destruction of our billboards. They have missed it. They will quit Kwara for us come 2019. And that
    will be the end of underdevelopment in the state.”

    Hon Bolarinwa charged the party faithful to remain unprovoked, charging them to vote all the candidates of the party and guide their votes from the marauders on election days.

    “For Saraki to think he has majority in Kwara state would amount to an illusion in grandeur. From Ekiti to Afon and Kiama, it is a morbid tale of infrastructure neglect and deceit. And the gale of defection to APC from the PDP had been tremendous. Nobody can stop or derail the liberation train. Everybody is committed to the liberation of Kwara State. The O to ge train is unstoppable,” he added.

     

  • Unite to end misrule in 2019, Kwara APC urges members

    Group seeks solution to primaries’ fallout

     

    Preparatory to 2019 general elections, All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state has charged its members to put their act together in order to end misrule in the state.

    The party added that bad governance has bred impunity over the years in the state.

    APC also hailed governorship candidate, Alhaji Abdulraham Abdulrasaq and other candidates of the party on their emergence.

    “They must continue to bear in mind that, they have been pushed forward to help in ending mal-administration, incompetency and high handedness in the corridors of power,” the party said.

    Also, a group of intellectuals under the auspices of Kwara People’s Network (KPN) has urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC to bridge the loop-holes created in the just concluded primaries of the party in the state.

    State Chair of APC Hon Bashir Bolarinwa “we can assure our members, supporters and good people of the state that every aggrieved person or member will be reached in the coming days, so as to present a united front that will dislodge the pretenders in government.

    “We will continue to rely on the support, counsels and prayers of our members, supporters and the good people of Kwara state as we walk into  2019 to elect true representatives for our people.”

    Hon Bolarinwa said: “However, we are grateful to party members for displaying high level of commitment, dedication and readiness to make our political liberation struggle in Kwara State, a done deal.

    “We shall continue to accord our party leaders, members of the executive council at all levels and the teeming supporters their pride of place in the scheme of things.

    “We have a duty to appreciate our aspirants for all offices whose efforts put more life into the party. You moved round the state, propagating the ideals of our party. You committed your hard earned resources to the process. We don’t have enough words to appreciate you.

    “We are grateful to the father of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari for finding time out to meet with our governorship aspirants and stakeholders in the party from the state. KPN added that a correction of the deficiency created by the primaries would ensure inclusive governance and give every Kwaran a sense of belonging. It added that that would give APC a landslide victory in the 2019 elections in the state.

    Read Also: Kwara electorate enjoined to vote for experience

    In a statement, National Coordinator and Secretary of the forum Busayo David and Abdulazeez Lukman said that APC “has the qualities and manifestos that can lead our dear state to the Promised Land, which made us to support the APC in kwara and Nigeria so that we can enjoy the dividends of democracy.”

    The statement reads: “The sharing formula used in distributing the elective positions majorly at Kwara Central and Kwara South senatorial districts, is a bit deficient. In kwara central that comprises of four LGAs; Asa, Ilorin east, Ilorin south and Ilorin west, which are divided into two federal constituencies; Asa/Ilorin west and Ilorin East/Ilorin south. Asa and Ilorin east have been given House of Representatives, Ilorin west has both governor and senate while Ilorin south has none. Based on the fact stated, it will be fair enough to consider Ilorin south for senate.

    “Similarly, Kwara South comprises of seven LGAs; Ekiti, Oke-ero, Offa, Oyun, Irepodun, Isin and Ifelodun. Kwara south has two federal constituencies which are Offa/Oyun/Ifelodun and Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-ero. Offa has the Senate seat, though Oyun has none but Ifelodun should be considered with the House of Representatives.

    “We hereby humbly call on NWC of APC to treat this matter with utmost urgency. Irepodun local government area has been represented at the House of Representatives for16 years. The only Christian that won House of Representatives from Ekiti local government area should not be denied.”

  • APC committed to good governance in Kwara–Chairman

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara on Wednesday promised to promote democratic tenets and good governance in the state.

    The Chairman of the party in the state, Bashir Bolarinwa, made this known on Wednesday in Ilorin while addressing governorship aspirants and party members.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 12 governorship aspirants were made to present their manifestos to party members out of the 13 that obtained nomination forms.

    “ Kwara State might not have been so blessed in the choice of its chief executives in the past.

    “We are determined to change the situation for the better now.

    “That is why we are here: to further deepen our democratic process through engagement, participation and feedback from our respected audience.

    “What we are doing today is a total departure from what obtains in the oligarchy system we are trying to stamp out.

    “We are presenting to you our array of eminent Kwarans who are seeking to lead us through the ballot in 2019,” Bolarinwa said.

    The chairman appealed to the governorship aspirants to use the opportunity to lay out their plans and manifestos to the people.

    “Since the people are the ultimate in a participatory democracy like ours, we feel it is right for you to speak to them directly,” Bolarinwa said.

    He assured the leadership of the party and members of the determination of his executive to produce a governor that would be accessible and loyal to the people.

    “We are gradually closing the page of an era that has deliberately held the state back, an era in which the loyalty of public office holders is to one man rather than to the people.

    “We are leaving an era in which one man, just one man, must be served.

    “The result of such an undemocratic system is lack of infrastructure, depreciation in living standards, lack of respect for human lives and high handedness in the corridor of power.

    Read Also: APC shift Primaries to September 25

     

    “Never again will our state be held down by the whims and caprices of one man.

    “The old order, which can only nurture mediocre and bring unpatriotic elements to the corridors of power, must give way to genuinely democratic system,” Bolarinwa said.

    NAN reports that aspirants that took part in the parley were Alhaji Hakeem Lawal, Amb. Yahaya Seriki, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and Malam Ish’aq Modibbo-Kawu, the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission.

    Others were Alhaji Lukman Mustapha, Alhaji Moshood Mustapha, Alhaji Dele Belgore (SAN), Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, Alhaji Abdullahi Yaman, Alhaji Soliu Mustapha, Alhaji Tajudeen Audu and Alhaji Yakub Gobir.

    The thirteenth aspirant, Alhaji Kayode Abdulwahab, was absent at the parley.

    NAN also reports that all the 12 aspirants presented their manifestos which focused mainly on Education, Agriculture, Health, Youth Development, Infrastructure, Economy, Finance and Wealth Creation.

  • APC hails court for restraining suspension of member

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed the recent court order restraining the leadership of Kwara State House of Assembly from suspending its only member in the assembly.

    Speaker of the Assembly Dr Ali Ahmad had about two weeks ago set a probe panel into allegation of certificate forgery and issuance of dud cheque against Prince Saheed Popoola, member representing Ojomu/Balogun State Constituency of Offa Local Government Area of the State.

    The state caretaker committee chair Bashir Bolarinwa commended the court for saving our democracy from the hands of hawks.

    He said that the culture of impunity that pervades Kwara state political space is traceable to the reign of Dr. Bukola Saraki as the governor of Kwara state.

    The statement reads: “The cork and bull story alleging that Prince Saheed Popoola filed a fake result while making entries into his nomination forms is as good as calling a dog, a bad name so that he can be fit for stoning and eventual death.

    “This is the same way; the lord of the manor, Dr. Bukola Saraki had ruled the state with fiefdom to stifle dissenting voices while he held sway as Chief Executive of the State. The story of alleged forgery against our member, Hon. Saheed Popoola was borne out of the hatred Saraki and cohorts harbour against. Hon. Popoola for refusing to defect to the PDP when Saraki directed his lackeys in the assembly to do so.

    “Saraki couldn’t have stood the slightest of any opposition since his days as a totalitarian Governor of Kwara State – the same style he deployed to take  away everything away from the State through fiat.

    “You will recall that Senator Ali Ndume was unconstitutionally suspended because he dared look at Saraki in the face and asked him to clear himself and the Senate in a controversial import of armoured cars without due custom certification. Those cars have eventually been put up for sales by the Customs Service. That was the end of the shady deal.

    “The same way Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was illegally suspended from participating in the legislative activities for which his people elected him to do. It is clear the genetic make-up of the embattled Senate President is averred to criticism, robust engagement and plurality of ideas. This makes him a bad politician.

    Read Also: Lagos APC for direct primary

    “We are relieved that the judiciary in Kwara State will save our democracy from reeking into anarchy as it is currently precipitated by Dr. Saraki and cohorts in the Kwara State House of Assembly.

    “We are proud of Hon. Saheed Popoola for holding high the torch of integrity and honor. We are equally grateful to our people in Offa for giving us a courageous and steadfast representative like Hon. Saheed Popoola.

    “Our members and teeming supporters in the state and beyond are assured that we will not rest on our oars at ensuring that the inalienable rights of our members are protected at all times. And we are confident that the 2019 elections will send the marauders packing from our dear state”.

     

  • APC faction in Kwara seeks national headquarter recognition

    The factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Kwara, Hon Bashir Bolarinwa has called on the national leadership of the party to recognize his faction as the authentic one the state.

    Bolarinwa made the call on Monday in a press statement issued in Ilorin, copy of which was made available to News men

    He also called on the national leadership of the party to stop dealing with Ishola Balogun Fulani led executive.

    Bolarinwa said his faction has been vindicated as the real APC in Kwara following exist of the Fulani group from the party.

    According to Bolarinwa, the Balogun Fulani faction’s allegiance was to Dr Saraki and sponsor of what he called ‘the contraption called RAPC, saying, “This is injurious to the party”.

    He said that the crisis in the party was precipitated by Dr Bukola Saraki and his cohorts when he defiled the party position on zoning of the senate presidency.

    Sen Saraki, Bolarinwa said went against the position of the party and did everything untoward to clinch the office.

    “While the president and the party remain democratic, Saraki was busy sowing seeds of discord and seeking means of destroying the party. His latest antic was the formation a splinter group,” Bolarinwa added.

    He lamented that since Dr Saraki emerged as the Senate President, he has been attracting odium to the institution of the Senate and Kwara State.

    Read Also: Kwara APC hails Buhari on Saraki’s acquittal

    Bolarinwa added that Sen Saraki has consistently made lives difficult for Nigerians through budget padding and delay in passage of budget.

    “These are practices created by him to slow down government and confer undue benefits on him,” he said.

    Bolarinwa accused the Senate President of pauperizing the people through deliberate under development of Kwara State.

    He challenged Saraki to point to a project or program he initiated that geared towards truly empowering the people for economic sustainability.

    Bolarinwa declared that Sen Saraki and his lackeys were bent on destroying the party and make it unsellable to electorate.

    According to him, the only grouse of the Saraki group was that the Senate President was not given a political waiver in his alleged criminal trials in courts and even those under investigation.

    He added that there was nothing wrong for the Police to carry out their constitutional duty as it related to Offa bank robbery.

    “Any move to turn this dutiful service of Nigeria Police to persecution is not only hypocritical but diversionary aimed at perverting the course of justice,” he said.

    Bolarinwa therefore appealed to the people of the State to keep faith with the party, promising to return the state to the path of prosperity through a functional political party.