By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Crisis in the All Progressives Congress, APC Kwara State Chapter that had assumed a dangerous dimension may not abate soon.
The party which is now factionalised chose a supposed stakeholders’ meeting aimed at bringing a truce in Ilorin, the state capital to engage in a free-for-all fight where metal chairs were thrown at each other inflicting injuries on members of each faction.
The national body of APC had of late first announced the then incumbent Chairman; Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa as the Caretaker Committee Chairman pending the convention of the party only to announce his erstwhile deputy; Alhaji Samari Abubakar as the new caretaker chairman.
That was the decision that ignited fire even when there had been a lingering frosty relationship among members who were grouped themselves in quiet factions.
The matter had become so bad that the warring divides had been carved to be that of the governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on one side and Alhaji Lai Mohammed on the other.
In Ilorin on Wednesday, both held different press conferences where they openly traded accusations, blaming each other for the woes of the party.
First to address the media were youths under the aegis of the Concerned Youth Stakeholders of APC demanded for the recall of Revalidation and Registration Committee led Senator John Danboi who organized the stakeholders’ meeting.
The youths said to be loyal to Alhaji Lai Mohamned passed a vote of no confidence on the committee saying it could not be fair in its assignment but I stead, would end up heating up the tensed situation in the party.
However, at another press conference addressed by the factional chairman; Alhaji Samari has condemned the violent break in upon the venue of the party’s stakeholders meeting allegedly by some loyalists of Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa.
He had said “the violent destruction of the entrance door allegedly by some party members with Hon. Bolarinwa was unfortunate and uncalled for” adding that some persons have already been arrested.
“We are shocked at the level of barbarism on display yesterday. It was unwarranted and embarrassing” .
He argued that Hon. Bolarinwa was among the stakeholders invited for the meeting and that nobody could have prevented him from joining the meeting.
Samari urged Hon. Bolarinwa and other leaders of the party to have deeper introspection as senior citizen saying “while party democracy is not without its challenges, introducing hooliganism to the mix is not acceptable”.
“Whatever that is happening is within what is accommodated in a democracy. This development should not make u enemies to one another”.
He also said that the registration exercise is being coordinated by the Danboi committee stressing that the stakeholders’ meeting was meant to brief everyone in the party on the modalities to adopt for the process in Kwara.