By Mumini AbdulKareem
The lingering leadership crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may snowball into a contest of high power litigation, National Pilot reliably gathered last night.
Following the purported suspension of the caretaker chairman of the party, Bashiru Bolarinwa Omolaja allegedly by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the party has found itself entangled in a renewed political battle that has further widened the gulf between the aggrieved leaders and Governor Abdulrahman.
While the aggrieved members led by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed continued to maintain that Bolarinwa remains the caretaker chairman of the party in Kwara, the Governor and his group insisted embattled BOB has been removed ahead of the nationwide registration of the party which commences Monday (today).
In a chat with National Pilot weekend over the issue, one of the aggrieved leaders, Iyiola Oyedepo insisted that Bolarinwa remains the chairman of the party. But asked what step the party will take if he is eventually removed, the former PDP chairman said “we will cross the bridge when we get there”.
“We are still on the issue, there is no problem for now” adding that “nothing is (so far) concluded”.
It was gathered that the aggrieved leaders are still making frantic efforts in Abuja to return Bolarinwa to the position even as his estranged former deputy, Abdullahi Samari has already started endorsing press releases issue by the state chapter of the party.
But speaking on the issue last night, a top member of the aggrieved leaders who spoke in confidence because he was not authorised to officially comment on the matter told National Pilot they are already mulling a court action over the Governor on the issue adding that they are confident of getting a court injection against him on that matter.
While reiterating that the aggrieved leaders of the party will not work with the Governor, the source said their deliberations in Abuja has shown that Abdulrazaq’s governors colleagues appeared resolute in supporting their colleague over the issue.
“Nobody has announced to us that he (Bolarinwa) has been removed. But with the body language of other Governors we can perceive clearly that they have declared support for one of their colleagues.
“The governors have thrown weight behind Governor Abdulrazaq on this issue as one of their members in solidarity and because of the patronage and resources they might get from him subsequently among other things.
“But on our part, we are (very) resolute and we’re going to continue work as parallel lines as some members of the party have described the two warring groups.
But the highest that we will go on this issue is to take them to court, we are prepared to sue them and confident that we’ll get a court injunction against them over this matter”, we’ll take them to court, the highly place source noted.
Recall that the Mia Mala Buni led National caretaker committee summoned the two factions to a meeting at the party’s secretariat last Monday in Abuja over the crisis.
The meeting however failed to resolve the crisis as both factions were sent before the North Central committee of the party for final resolution, the outcome of which has ended in claims and counterclaims over the position of the committee.
