By Mumini AbdulKareem
Pending any last minute change in plans, the 16 Local Government
chairmen in Kwara State are set to defect to the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
Their defection, it was gathered last night, was part of the political
solution they reportedly sought over their predicament from the ruling
administration in the state.
This development is coming just as the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) continues its investigation of the embattled council
bosses.
A source in the commission who confided in National Pilot said the
anti-graft commission is stillย ย investigating the suspended chairmen
whether political solution or not.
Severally calls to the Publicity Secretary of the suspended chairmen
who was formerly the chairman of Ilorin East, Engr. Abdulmumini Lar
were not answered, to get his reaction on the issue.
However, a very close and reliable source to the chairmen confirmed
the issue last night adding that they (the chairmen) have been meeting
with political heavyweights in the state to speak to the Governor over
the issue.
โYes, the plan is on and they want to move to APC anytime from now.
Discussion is still ongoing and that was what prompted the withdrawal
of their case in court in the first place. The whole issue was the
initiative of the chairmen, it is not that anybody is pressurising
them. They are the one that came up with the idea of political
solution which explained why they later withdrew their case in court.
But discussion is still going on the modalities.
โThe EFCC is still investigating them despite the development just
like the House of Assembly did theirs. Even the four that were not on
the same page with them initially have now joined them. They have been
to the EFCC, made their case known and defended what they have to
defend.
โThere are going about meeting different political heavyweights in the
state to talk to the Governor because only he can say now that they
haveโฆ. Everything is covered by the political solution that they are
trying to work out. Nobody can really defined all that is contained in
thereโ, the source added.
Asked whether plans are on for them to continue in office, the source
said nobody can say for now and โyou know the Governor is largely
unpredictableโ, he added.
When asked about the issue before their investigation by the EFCC, one
of the chairmen said, โwhen we get to the bridge, we will cross it.โ
Last week, during a special prayer organised by the Abdulrahman
Abdulrazaq Progressives Group (AAPG), Isin chapter, Kwara South, one
of the leaders of the group, Hon Segun Awogbade, publicly said almost
all the council chairmen formally in PDP are now in APC and are
members of the AAPG adding the but for the engagement of the suspended
chairman of Isin, Hon Omale, he would have been with them at the
programme that had attendance notable leaders of the opposition party
now in the APC.
