A caucus of elders in All Progressives Congress in Kwara has called for the suspension of information minister Lai Mohammed on allegations of anti-party activities.
The caucus comprising party leaders and loyalists of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq called the minister the “brain behind” the factionalisation of Kwara APC with the unveiling of a factional party secretariat in Ilorin.
According to the group’s leader Sunday Fagbemi, the action of the minister is unexpected of a leader of his status adding that he is no longer fit to represent the interest of the party in Kwara State.
The party, they noted, has not reached a “dead end” in the state over the raging crisis adding that reconciliatory efforts is still ongoing.
“The estranged relationship between the minister and the governor who is the leader of the party in the state by our constitution is most uncalled for because he cannot contest the leadership with Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
“His Continuing encouragement and support for the factionalization of the party is divisive and disruptive to the APC. It is anti-party.
“We therefore called for the immediate suspension of Alhaji Lai Mohammed as a member of the APC in Kwara State for his actions. We also called for his removal as a minister from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari for he is no longer fit to represent the interest of the state,”,Fagbemi submitted.
Meanwhile, the faction loyal to the minister has threatened to invoke Article 21 of the APC’s constitution against the governor accusing him of anti-party activities.
At a press parley held at the party’s factional Secretariat addressed by the State Legal Adviser of the party’s caretaker committee, Oladimeji Mustapha, they alleged Abdulrazaq of exposing the party to public odium with his actions.
They listed the seven actions of the Governor which have contributed to the polarization of the party in the state to include “floating a group called AA, attempting to use trick to remove Bashir Bolarinwa as state chairman and sponsoring of assault and battery against party leaders and members among others.
They also rejected the call for the suspension of the minister as demanded by the elders even as they noted that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC can take such decision.
“We are put out of countenance by the Governor’s display of incivility and the exposure of our Party to public odium and disrepute by not exploring the party’s internal mechanism to address whatever issues in contention.”
