Abdulrazaq vs Lai: APC suspends 11 loyalists of information minister

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended 11 party members loyal to the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The loyalists of the minister, who are in Kwara State, were suspended for taking legal action against the party and its state chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Samari Abubakar.

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The minister has formed a faction of the party that has refused to work with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq who has the backing of the national leadership of the party.

The suspension letter, sighted by our correspondent on Thursday, was signed by Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. James Akpanudoedehe, and addressed to Kwara State Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Samari Abubakar.

The 11 party members loyal to Lai had approached the court to demand the removal of the approved State Caretaker Committee Chairman, contrary to the directive of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of 25th June 2020, where it was resolved that no member of the party should institute any court action against the party.

The Minister’s men suspended are; Joseph Tsado, Bamidele Ogunbayo, Issa Fulani, Imam Abdulkadir, Morufu Olaniyi Yusuf, Saludeen Lukman, Kerebu Fatai, Bola Ajani, Nurudeen Fasasi, Salman Shehu Babatunde and Abdullateef Ahmed Kolawole.

The letter reads in part; “The Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee considered the decision of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee dated 5 February 2021 on the resolution of the Kwara State Disciplinary Committee to suspend erring members who Instituted SUIT NO: CV/241/2021 BETWEEN JOSEPH TSADO AND 10 ORS VS ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS & 2 ORS against the party.

“After due consideration of the decision, the members of the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee found the decision meritorious on the grounds that the members who instituted the above mentioned suit against the party had flouted the directive of the National Executive Committees (NEC) of 25th June 2020, wherein the NEC resolved that no member of the party should institute any action in court and to withdraw all pending cases in court in order to explore the internal conflict resolution mechanisms of the party.

“Consequently, the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee ratifies the decision of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee and upholds suspension of the following party members:

“Take notice, that this suspension constitutes a bar on the above-named persons from participating in the on-going registration and revalidation of membership exercise.”