By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Hon. Omolaja Bolarinwa, caretaker committee chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara State has said that Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and his National Caretaker Committee should be held responsible for the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the States.
Reacting to the Supreme Court judgment on the legal tussle between Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Eyitayo Jegede in Ondo State, Bolarinwa said though Akeredolu narrowly won the case, there was an indictment on Governor Buni’s committee by the court’s minority judgment.
According to him, the tussle between Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) candidate at the last state election, and Governor Akeredolu, SAN (APC) would have been unnecessary if the national body was not complicit in the crisis that rocked the state chapter of the party.
He said the ruling by a very narrow margin against Jegede, the Supreme Court justices were still unanimous that the Buni-led caretaker committee in the ruling party is untenable in the face of law.
He added that Buni’s committee had inflicted series of crisis in the party in the country saying “It is difficult to absolve the current National leadership of our party of complicity in the crisis rocking APC also, in Kwara State today.”
Bolarinwa who has been the Kwara State Chairman of APC before the advent of Governor Buni’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee last year, is now regarded as a factional Chairman of the state caretaker committee.
The other Chairman of the party recognised by Buni’s Committee, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari, had earlier in the week addressed a press conference to announce the readiness of Kwara APC for tomorrow’s Ward congresses across the 193 wards in the State.
He was accompanied at the press briefing by three members sent by the national body to oversee the conduct of the congresses across the 16 Local Governments in the.
However, the Bolarinwa faction had also told journalists that they would equally conduct congresses in all the wards in the sixteen Local Governments a situation that would portend parallel congresses in the State tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the State Caretaker Legal Adviser of APC, Barrister Ladi Mustapha, during an interaction with journalists said the national body had “tried all the tricks in the books to pervert the cause of justice on issues, but our God is a God of justice.”
He added that as a lawyer, Hon. Bolarinwa was still the authentic party chairman in Kwara state, saying “We have remained undaunted, resolute and focused on the ideals and philosophy of our party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Supreme Court ruling on Jegede vs. Rotimi Akeredolu Governorship election should be bold enough on the wall of justice that Hon. Bashir Ọmọlaja Bolarinwa’s chairmanship is as solid, in law, as the Rock of Gibraltar.”
Mustapha added: “It is advisable for the political masquerades to step back to the shrine and allow peace to reign in the party.”