The crisis in the Kwara chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) deepened on Thursday when the caretaker committee ratified the suspension of 11 members loyal to Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, for taking the party to court.
They had asked a high court to remove Abdullahi Samari Abubakar as chairman of the APC caretaker committee in Kwara, owing to the rift between AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor, and the minister.
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Both men are seeking to control the party structure in the Kwara.
In June 2020, the national executive committee (NEC) of the party dissolved the national working committee (NWC) led by Adams Oshiomhole and directed members not to institute any suits against the party.
In a letter addressed to Abubakar, National Secretary of the Party, John Akpanudoedehe, said that the suspension bars the affected persons from the APC’s membership revalidation exercise.
“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,” Akpanudoedehe wrote in the letter.
“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 Committee (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 ongoing registration and revalidation of membership exercise.”
The party’s decision is the sequel to a letter by the Kwara APC chairman notifying the national leadership of its disciplinary action against the 11 members.
The suspended members 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.