A pro-democracy group, Kwara Agenda, has warned that the leadership crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may set the state on fire if it continues unabated.
The group at a press conference last week called on the security agents in the state to stand up to its mandate and ensure the security of lives and properties some of which were built with tax payers money.
Text of the statement tilted Attendant War Rhetoric’s Ahead of Membership Registration Exercise”, reads:
“We’ve watched with bewilderment the unabated roforofo fight in the APC in Kwara State. The fight, which began almost immediately the party rose to power as mere internecine power tussle has now snowballed so dangerously, we fear may put our dear state on fire if urgent action in not taken.
“We’ve it on good authority that rival APC members across the 193 wards in Kwara state are planning showdown within their ranks as a result of the shameful division in the party. We’re not surprised that this is happening. We’re only surprised that this is happening earlier than we thought.
“We’ve always believed that a contraption built on Otoge falsehoods would not last. The APC grabbed power in Kwara state with lies and propaganda, they hoodwinked Kwarans that they had better solutions to govern the state, they stumbled on leadership with zero knowledge of how it’s used for the good of the people. Their hen, predictably, has now come home to roast. The centre is no longer holding.
“But what has become the APC crisis concerns us less, what concerns us at Kwara Agenda is the security of the lives and property of our people that’s now being threatened by the new trend of political crisis that have engulfed the ruling party in the state.
“Several footages and videos which had gone viral on social media where dangerous weapons are being brandished between rivalry camps of APC inside Banquet Hall of Kwara state Government with no presence of security agents to prevail over those political thugs called for serious concerns.
“It was so serious that the APC chairman, Bashiru Omolaja Bolarinwa was attacked by hoodlums reportedly sent by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq faction, while facilities inside the Banquet Hall were seriously vandalised and turned to weapons in the hands of these political gangsters. What is more devastating is that no security operatives were seen even making attempt to prevail on those enemies of the state.
“What can we say of the new Commissioner of Police who was deployed to Kwara state not quite long under whose nose this broad day political violent is taking place? Where are the police officers being paid to secure public facilities and lives of our people? Was the Commissioner deployed to protect only those who are in government or the unprotected citizens of the state?
“We refused to sit back and watch as the Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led APC turn our otherwise peaceful state to a theater of war.
“This is why we call on security agents in the state to stand up to its mandates and ensure security of lives and properties of our people including public facilities like Banquet Hall which was built by Saraki-led administration for the use of the state. We call on the police authority to fish out all the hoodlums who perpetrated the vandalism and increase political tension in the state.
“Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq must take responsibility for this breakdown of law and order by members of his party and apologise to Kwarans for his inability to manage his party crisis which is now snowballing into full scale crisis.
“We equally call the APC party hierarchy at the national level to as a matter of urgency arrest the situation in Kwara for the peace and tranquility of our state.
