Despite land mark victory over the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections the Kwara state chapter of the All Progressives Party (APC) have failed to capitalise on the gains of the Otooge movement as key players are set against one another. In this report, KEHINDE OSASONA examines the intrigues, conspiracy, and battles ahead of APC and the governor in the run up to the 2023 polls.
In 2019, the Kwara state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, won the governorship election beating his closest rival and flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP, Abdulrazaq Atunwa, who was the Senate President Bukola Saraki’s anointed.
The Otooge movement landed the sucker punch on the Saraki dynasty with the election victory, which saw at least 35 political parties in Kwara collapse structures, to back APC candidate.
Until recently the relationships between political actors in the ruling APC and Governor Abdulrahman was believed to be cohesive with strong bonding.
Unfortunately, Kwara APC is said to be experiencing crisis over the leadership of the party and has now escalated to a fracas.
Before the 2019 general elections, the political alignment conceived by the progressives and Otooge gladiators was borne out of the quest to wrestle political power from the PDP and the Saraki dynasty.
Apart from suffering crushing defeat in the hands of amalgams of progressives, the election rail-road the sitting governor into the Ahmadu Bello Way Government House in Ilorin, while other elective positions were equally occupied by the ruling APC in the state.
But in a twist of fate Kwara APC has now become torn between loyalists of Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq and those of the party Chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa on one hand, and Senator Gbemisola Saraki and Alhaji Lai Mohammed on the other hand.
Trouble, reportedly began shortly after the governor was sworn-in and he allegedly sidelined virtually all the arrowheads of the Otooge revolution. Governor AbdulRazaq is said to have shut them from having input in appointments and party related activities.
The APC leadership in the state had alleged that the governor had exclusively composed his cabinet despite repeated denials by the governor’s media handlers.
Efforts had been made by the APC national secretariat and the reconciliation committee to resolve the friction and move the party forward to no avail. The disquiet may lead to full blown dispute as the battle for the governorship in 2023 begins in earnest.
While lamenting over the development recently in an interview, a party Chieftain from Kwara South, Mr Rex Olawoye, said the in-fighting amongst the party actors and the governor may affect the party’s fortunes in the 2023 general elections.
Olawoye said: “I am seriously praying that we will not have a situation that will disunite the party in future. We laboured to put Governor AbdulRazaq in power and we can’t afford to pull him down. That is where I stand. No matter the magnitude of the crisis, I still believe that it can be resolved amicably.
“I am of the view that only the national executive of the APC could resolve the cold war within the party in the state.
“Every attempt at resolving it at the local level had been fruitless. The headquarters of the party should timely set up a reconciliatory committee, so that we will not run a tattered party in Kwara.
“The governor has sufficient arsenal in his armoury to put the party together in Kwara. I am not talking about money alone, but recognition for all the members of the party. The lack of recognition made some of us defect from the political group of Dr. Bukoka Saraki.
“We all worked for the emergence of APC in Kwara and I think such persons should be treated well to give the party a sense of responsibility, honour and candour. We should note that the year 2023 is not too far from now.”
