Politics

APC Crisis: Gov Abdulrazaq reportedly moves to replace party chair, Bolarinwa

…pushes for Kwara North candidate

 

By Mumini AbdulKareem

The leadership crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) assumed another dimension, with feelers that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is reportedly gathering support from top party stakeholders that will lead to the removal of the Chairman of the party, Bashiru Omolaja Bolarinwa, National Pilot, learnt, last night.
The move to sack the chairman, it was gathered, was reportedly based on the insistence of the Governor that he can no longer work with the party chairman over widening political differences.
To this end, the Governor with the support of some of the party executives has reportedly began to shop for a candidate from Kwara North Senatorial district as replacement for Bolarinwa who hails from Kwara South if the plan to remove the latter scaled through.
Although it was not clear last night the preference of the Governor for a candidate from Kwara North, APC stakeholders in the district had consistently complained of marginalisation in the formation of state executives in the party which they said had denied them a place in the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC. NEC is one of the highest decision making organs of the party.
Speaking on the issue, last night, a top party source who is very conversant about the development told this reporter on condition of anonymity because he was not officially allowed to speak with the press on the matter that the Governor has succeeded in stripping Bolarinwa of majority of his party executive in preparation for the move to oust him.
The source added that only two out of the 16 APC chairmen in the state are presently with the embattled party chairmen including the party Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Tajudeen Folaranmi Aro and the APC Kwara South senatorial Chairman, one Chief Olabanji Olayemi.
According to the source, because of the rigorous nature to effect the chairman’s removal, the plan is to get the party’s executives to pass a vote of no confidence on Bolarinwa at home which will be used against him at the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the party in Abuja.
Another source who is also aware of the development told this reporter, last night, that, “The Governor has decided to move against the party chairman and moves are on to ensure he (Bolarinwa) was first indicted at home by his executive passing a vote of no confidence on him. He (Governor) is looking at somebody or a candidate from Kwara North as replacement for him, all things being equal.
“As at today (Wednesday), the Chairman is practically a lone ranger, Governor Abdulrazaq has won the support of the majority of the remaining exco members. The Governor believed the party chairman is serving as a clog in the wheel of his determination to perform in line with the promises made to the electorate and the huge expectations from Kwarans who voted for him”, he added.
Asked who is likely to be considered as the replacement, the source said nothing concrete has been arrived at adding that the Governor was yet to give specific directive or commission anybody on that.
“You know the way he does his things is majorly spontaneous. He might wake up tomorrow, pick somebody and work towards his emergence.
However, the vice chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari who is supposed to assume the chairmanship position in the case of an indictment of Bolarinwa is from Okuta, Baruten Local Government in Kwara North.
Another APC source who spoke on the issue described the leadership crisis as fallout for the fight of the soul of the APC in the state among some notable party members.
“The chairman belongs to the camp of the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who is not in the same political camp with the Governor. Presently, Governor Abdulrazaq has the full support of the legislature and has been having their cooperation but not that of the party because of the disposition of the Chairman.
“He (Governor) feels that replacing the chairman will give him the necessary grip on the party affairs and the opportunity to push his decisions across. The way it is now, both the Chairman and Governor are seriously at loggerheads”, the source added.
Efforts to speak with the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Aro over the matter were not successful as several telephone conversations with him were not audible due to poor connectivity. However, when asked in a text message whether the party executives are planning to remove the chairman over alleged acts of insubordination against the Governor, he simply replied “No”.
Several calls to Bolarinwa and text message sent to him were not answered during the cause of gathering this story.
But a former member of the party’s disciplinary who confided in our reporter, last night, said even if the Governor has the intention to remove the chairman, the process is very rigorous adding that Bolarinwa is having issues with even his kinsmen and they are already working with people from the central to orchestrate his removal.
“I don’t think this thing is emanating from Kwara North but from some sponsored groups within the party. The election of the chairman goes through congress to stay for four years and there is a procedure in party constitution where we have the chapter of discipline to address issues like this. He can be accused of three things; inefficiency, misconduct and serious misconduct that has to do with financial embarrassment, mismanagement or anti-party which must not be verbal but with evidence attached like video or voice logs,z  to still pictures among others.
“In that chapter, there are procedures where presentations will be made to the disciplinary committee headed by the Vice chairman of all the levels depending on where it occurred whether at the ward, local government or state. The disciplinary committee will then investigate and the working committee will now consider it.
“So if it happens at the ward level, it goes to the local government, then to senatorial and the state that will now make submissions. The issue of the removal of the chairman is beyond the state but up to the federal level.
“There must first be an allegation to this regard in a letter which will be officially processed. And it will also be established whether those calling for his sack are card carrying members of the party. If the reasons are tabled, the chairman will be asked to excuse himself for the vice chairman who is also the chairman of the disciplinary committee to take over pending the conclusion of the matter. Also there is also elder’s forum permitted by the constitution consisting of ex-principal officers of state Assembly, senators and House of Reps members that will hear it. They will now approve that the disciplinary committee should try him. In that process of his trial, he will be invited for questioning on the allegation and at the end of the day, if there are some evidence, they will forward it to the North Central zone, then the NEC and based on the NEC conclusion, the national leadership will direct the state to go into action and if he is found guilty, the Vice President become automatic chairman.
“For the Governor to have interest in any body from Kwara North is going to be an abuse of the constitution and ultra vires. The chairman went through convention and was elected to serve for four years. So if there is any issue now, he must be tried by the disciplinary committee, first be found guilty and the report forwarded to the NEC through the North Central zone in this case. The moment you make a mistake to put somebody there as chairman, removing him is difficult.
“The chairmanship of the party going to Kwara North has to come with another sacrifice; it’s like postponing the evil day and the issue will further trigger another round of agitation of whether the priority for Kwara North is Governorship or party chairmanship. Bolarinwa has not spent up to two years unless if there is opportunity of another congress before this can be easy. And even if he’s found guilty, the Vice Chairman now automatically become the party chairman pending the time of another congress. Now if you are asking the chairman to go to another zone, the implication is that it will affect all other key positions”, he added.
The source noted that “And the National Legal Adviser of the party who is also an automatic member of the disciplinary committee will also have to provide guidance so that all the efforts to remove him will not go down in drain through the court. The chairman can just go to the court and rubbish all the efforts, time and money that have been expended on the exercise. It’s just like removing a senator, you have to go back to the ward with a referendum for recall and in this instance, you are toying with seven local governments in Kwara South.

Show More

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button