Kwara APC Crisis: Massive blow for BOB-led faction, as Buhari allegedly shun flag-off in Ilorin over court judgement

I won’t spend a dime until case decided in our favour – Isiaka, brother of guber candidate

By Mumini AbdulKareem

The Bashiru Omolaja Bolarinwa-led executives of the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) suffered a big blow yesterday as President Muhammed Buhari allegedly shunned the campaign rally earlier scheduled to hold in the state over the recent high court judgement delivered against the faction of the party.

Following the development, the APC has however called off the rally out-rightly until a later date that was yet to be fixed by the party.

Also, the judgement has further compounded the crisis in the party as Isiaka AbdulRazaq, the younger brother of the factional APC governorship candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq  has insisted he will not spend a dime until the final outcome of the case in court, National Pilot gathered, last night.

The court judgement had reportedly generated huge concerns in the party since the court sacked the Bolarinwa-led executive backed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC.

To this end, Isiaka has reportedly decided to wait for the outcome of the court case, a situation that is allegedly causing huge setback for the party.

Last year, Isiaka had agreed to provide a massive N5billion war chest to prosecute the election in the state if his brother was ‘favoured’ with the party’s guber ticket.

Isiaka, who is the Group Executive Director, Finance of the Nigeria National Petroleum Commission (NNPC), is the main financier of the party and has promised to shoulder the funding of the APC in the state for the entire electoral process.

It was on this premise that the national leadership of the party with the support of Aiswaju Bola Tinubu influenced the emergence of Abdulrazaq as the party’s gubernatorial candidate during its governorship primary, last year.

The crisis from that controversial primary pitched some aggrieved gubernatorial aspirants like Prof Shuaib Abdulraheem Oba among others against Abdulrazaq.

Recently, Prof Oba reportedly dragged the latter before Tinubu insisting to replace the deputy governorship candidate of the party, Kayode Alabi with one Kayode Abogunrin, who is his associate,  against the wish of Isiaka.

Sources close to Tinubu had disclosed to National Pilot that the former Lagos State governor may accede to the Abdulrazaqs in his alleged bid to get close to Isiaka.

The source added that should Tinubu ignore Prof Oba’s call, he may end up securing lucrative deals in the NNPC – an opportunity he reportedly longed for.

It was gathered from the schedule of campaigns released by the APC national secretariat, that the Party’s train was originally expected in Kwara and Kogi yesterday for the rally which was also published by the Nation newspaper.

However, Buhari only attended the Kogi rally on Wednesday.

Efforts to reach the faction’s Publicity Secretary, Tajudeen Aro last night, on the issue were futile as his phone was switched-off.

Similar attempts to reach the chairman of the faction, Bolarinwa were also not successful as calls to his phone rang out twice last night without response.

Likewise, several calls to the party’s national spokesman, Lanre Issa Onilu were also not attended to. Answer to a text message to his telephone line last night was still being awaited before this paper went to bed.

But a member of the APC in Kogi State who spoke with our reporter on the telephone last night said Buhari had to call off the visit to Kwara because ‘the Kwara APC was not ready’.

The source who said although the visit of the President was lately communicated, the party in Kogi reached out to all stakeholders to ensure that the rally was held.

“We were communicated late on the issue but we have to rally everybody to host the President. But in Kwara, the party was not ready and it has to do with a number of issues including logistics among others.

But the cancellation of the visit went viral on Tuesday in many social media platforms in Kwara State with report that the President was advised by close aides to tarry awhile on the Kwara APC campaign until INEC makes a final release.

The online report quoting a highly placed source close to the Presidency said Buhari was reportedly advised not to come to Kwara in order not to be seen as disobeying court order with his action as the President.

“We realised that INEC is expected to release the authentic list of the APC candidates tomorrow. And in the case of Kwara, there’s a controversial court judgement that is capable of a major shock in the party.”

“We do not want the President to be seen in bad light again as flouting a valid court judgment. The judgement nullified the primaries that brought in the Oshiomole-backed candidates in Kwara State, particularly Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.”

“If he now comes in tomorrow to hand over flags to candidates that have been nullified, it will send negative signals yet again that the President is lawless.”

“The safer thing to do is to wait on the INEC go make its release, then we know what is next”, it added.