By Mumini AbdulKareem
Former House of Representatives member for Ilorin West/Asa federal constituency, Hon Moshood Mustapha last night broke his silence on the alleged move to hijack the All Progressives Congress (APC) to actualise his 2023 gubernatorial ambition.
A group, Defender of Kwara Freedom (DKF) had accused the former lawmaker and gubernatorial aspirant of planning to hijack the party by sponsoring factional crisis within his Alanamu ward, which will gradually spread to other wards within the state.
DFK, in a joint press conference by its Coordinator and Secretary, Com. Shifau Salaudeen and Com. Sherifat Ibrahim said the alleged move to take over the APC ward structure has polarised Alanamu ward and accused his supporters of disrupting the ward’s meeting.
But speaking with this reporter in a telephone conversation from London at the weekend, MM as Mustapha is popularly known in the political sphere in the state, denied the allegation, adding that APC is very peaceful.
“It the handiwork of idle people. As a leader of the party not only in Alanamu, but Ilorin West and Kwara State and as somebody who has gone through a lot, is it ward issue that will now matter to me.
“The issue of Alanamu was just a one off thing and it was between the executive and aggrieved members of the ward, which had to do with the Democracy Day event where they claimed that money was released for certain number of buses. It has nothing to do with me at all.
“I just realised that people just want to mention my name in anything to catch people’s attention. I think that is exactly what is going on. As I speak with you, I am in London to see my son. Any little thing, MM wants to divide the party, he is fighting this and not happy with that. The other day I read a report that reads ‘Who is afraid of MM?’ What is my business with ward matters my brother. I know nothing about it
“I even called the warring parties and the only thing I told them was that could not remove the chairman … unless we toe the party line and the constitution of the party if we are truly politicians and we understand politics very clearly, we should know that no matter how aggrieved we are, we can’t take laws into our hands. As far as Alanamu matter is concerned, it doesn’t have to do with any personality”, he added.
On the allegation that his 2023 ambition was the reason for instigating ward crisis, Mustapha challenged anybody to name another ward apart from Alanamu that is experiencing crisis, adding that he has very good relationship with the Governor and party stakeholders including the chairman, Bashiru Bolarinwa.
“If they are saying that I am doing this because of 2023, let them mention one other ward where there is crisis. APC is very peaceful and nobody should come up with any kind of nonsense. We are not fighting ourselves and I am very close to Governor Abdulrahman and other party stakeholders. The chairman of the party is my friend and we are all working together. I don’t have any issue with anybody because this is not the time to fight but rather for us all to join hand together to build the party in order to build the state. And to make sure that all our supporters that worked day and night and suffered with us to form the government get dividend of democracy.
“I am not a stupid man, I am not a stupid man, why would I be fighting at this level. We are less than one month into this administration and any right thinking and responsible politician will not start spending money or planning from now for 2023. It’s a long relay and such person is running at a fast pace and will get tired. I am not a stupid politician”, he noted.
According to him “I don’t have such intention and I don’t even know what my position will be and whether God will keep me alive, everything is in his hands and I believe in God. So I don’t have any business with them. My own concern is how we are going to assist our people who joined us in this struggle,” he added.
