By Ahmed Ajikobi and Mike Adeyemi
The crisis rocking the Kwara chapter of All Progressive Congress (APC), last week took a new dimension as the Honorable Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed berated the Kwara State governor, AbdulRasaq AbdulRahan as he likened him to an animal.
The minister stated this while replying to the earlier accusation leveled against him by the governor over the alleged misappropriation of N1 billion election fund during a political gathering in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
According to the minister, ‘the said election fund was jointly spent by the party to mobilize electorate during the elections.’
“It was here we distribute the money to various party agent to prosecute the elections. We also distributed motorcycles. AbdulRasaq did not give any kobo.
“Prior to when we elected him as the governor, we had already known that we have entered a ‘one chance’. Our thought then was to settle with the elections first before we address his case. The governor is “Amuni buni, eran ibiye,” Lai Mohammed said.
He added that the governor is reaping from where he did not sow as he was not known in the party before the election.
“He was not known in our party before. We had mistaken him for human being before, not knowing he was not.”
Recall the ruling party crisis in the state brewed when the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq spoke on the protracted crisis rocking the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He attributed the conflict to his refusal to fund a campaign structure that was formed without his prior knowledge or input as the governorship candidate.
Speaking at the launch of a book titled: “Otoge,” in Ilorin, the state capital, the governor also said some cabals within the party who received millions of naira as donations for the Kwara struggle from far and wide did not deliver the huge money to him.
Represented by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, the governor said party officials were also barred from campaigning with him until the presidential election had been won and the pendulum was clearly swinging in his favour.
He said: “Since this book is about history, I feel it is important to set the record straight on a few things. First, the O to ge is the struggle of our people and it did not necessarily start in 2019.
“Every Kwaran of good conscience owned and worked for that struggle in various ways. We were only positioned by providence to lead the final lap of the breaking of the jinx that dated back many decades.
Abdulrazaq added: “However, contrary to some claims out there, the battle cry Otoge and its adoption were a product of a statewide field research that I commissioned shortly after the primaries in October 2018. If anyone could lay claim to its copyright, it has to be the Hook Nigeria, a communications outfit owned by very young people.
“One of them, Toyyib, is a Kwara South prince. I had held meetings with various PR outfits but I found their own presentation most strikingly catchy and reflective of the Kwara struggle. We ran our campaign with that slogan and it quickly resonated with our masses.
“So, popular was it that even motorcyclists and trailer drivers adopted it in their honking. It became a household refrain. To God be the glory. And we thank the people of Kwara for this. I also need to set the record straight about the party crisis. It did not begin after the election or swearing-in.
“It is safe to say that those who claimed to own the party in the state at that time practically disowned me until after the President had won his election and the coast became clearer back home. Here is the story:
“Shortly after the primaries in October, the party told me they have set up a campaign structure. Nobody consulted me before doing that, even though I was the governorship candidate. They asked me to fund the campaign structure that I was not privy to. Of course I declined it. I would later lead my own small campaign team across the state. It is on record that the party officially boycotted my campaign tours.
“Party officials got the instruction not to attend my campaign. A few of them can testify to this. I went round the whole of Kwara North without the party. However, they stylishly joined the campaign after the presidential election when it was clear Kwarans had decided in our favour.
“I am not aware of any decent democracy where a candidate would not be given the privilege of shaping the direction of his own campaign. It is even worse that my campaign was boycotted because I refused to be led by the nose. I have told these stories of the slogan and of the party issues to disabuse the mind of Kwarans or friends of Kwara who may not have had this information.
“In doing so, I am not claiming sole credit for the success of the struggle. Far from it. I have done so simply to clear the air, and this book launch offers the right platform to speak up.
“And for ministers, governors, party supporters, and friends of Kwara who I later heard donated hundreds of millions of naira to support the Otoge struggle in Kwara, I want to say that I did not receive a kobo of that fund. But how that money was managed or stolen is a story for another day.”
Meanwhile, things seem to have fallen apart within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, with the centre not holding.
Stakeholders in the party have continued to take swipe against each other over the controversial campaign fund for the 2019 elections in the state.
Consequently, allegations and counter-allegations have been flying around since the issue of the campaign fund came to the front burner of political discourse in the state, hence deepening the crisis within the party.
The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed and the Lawmaker representing Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon Abdulraheem Tunji Olawuyi (Ajuloopin) have been embroiled in hot exchange of words over the election funding.
Recall that the Minister had on Saturday spoken about how he ‘single-handedly’ sponsored all the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in Kwara, including Governor. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, for the 2019 general elections.
“By the grace of God, I single-handedly, with the support of friends, politicians and families, raised all the money for all the elections we had in Kwara during that period, starting from the by-election that brought in honourable Raheem Olawuyi (Ajuloopin) as rep member.
“I challenge anybody here to say who gave the party one penny apart from what I gave them. The money paid to party agents and leaders to mobilise voters was raised by me. I challenge anybody here to say that he gave logistic support to the party, I did it by the grace of God,” he said at the inauguration of a factional secretariat.
He went on to say that he does not deserve the treatment he was getting from Governor AbdulRazaq whom he accused of biting the finger that fed him.
The minister also spoke about the controversial registration and revalidation exercise of the APC in the state, which he assured his followers would be conducted again. He had earlier alleged that the exercise was marred by infractions in February.
Similarly, some members of the Kwara State House of Assembly have slammed Lai Mohammed, debunking his claim that he bankrolled their elections in 2019.
21 members of the state House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Yakubu Salihu-Danladi, denied receiving any support from the minister for the elections.
The lawmakers granted a press conference in Ilorin, the state capital, on Sunday afternoon.
“Our attention has been drawn to an odious lie recently told by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, claiming that he supported and or financed the campaign and election of the 24 members into the Kwara State House of Assembly in the last general election in 2019.”
“Lai Mohammed did not give any support in any form to members of the 9th legislature during the campaign and election; if he did, he should name who and what he gave out. Could the minister be mixing things up on account of his old age?!”
The lawmakers stated that they only received financial support from Governor Abdulrazaq for the purpose of prosecuting the House of Assembly election.
“Apart from the governorship candidate (His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq), the other support was the sum of N500,000 each that we received from the national headquarters of our party, APC. Other than that, it was the governor who funded our expenses including logistics, souvenirs, posters and other campaign materials. Even so, at no time did the governor go about telling anyone that he funded our campaign.
“It is also laughable that Lai Mohammed could claim to have personally raised money to finance the 2019 general elections in Kwara State. The question that would readily come to mind is: What is Lai’s contribution to his own Ward, Local Government, District and Kwara in general to have earned him respect and reputation for people to trust him and donate money to him?” the assembly members queried.
As a backdrop of the lingering crisis in the party, Kwara APC leaders have recently washed their dirty linens in public, exchanging words over the financing of the 2019 election.
Both Mohammed and AbdulRazaq have been at loggerheads after the All Progressives Congress (APC) coasted to victory in 2019.
The minister and some other members of the APC who played a major role in the ousting of the Saraki hegemony in the state have accused Governor AbdulRazaq of sidelining them in his administration of the state.
The governor, on the other hand, said he would not use state resources to reward party loyalty as allegedly expected by some APC members.
Political observers believe that the crisis, if unresolved before the state congress, is capable of further destabilising the party and consequently blow AbdulRazaq’s chances of securing a second term.
Meanwhile, the Financial Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara, Mohammed Tajudeen, on Sunday said the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, funded the by-election campaign expenses of Rep. AbdulRaheem Ajuloopin in 2018.
Tajudeen told newsmen in Ilorin that contrary to the claim of the lawmaker representing Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency that he gave the minister N32.5million, Mohammed solely sourced for the campaign funds to prosecute the by-election and other elections in the state.
He further revealed that the estimated amount for the by-election campaign was N26 million, adding that this was released to the Chairman of the party, Bashir Bolarinwa.
Tajudeen also said that the sum was distributed by the chairman following laid down instructions.
The financial secretary, who also described as erroneous the claim that N50 million was given to the minister by a governorship candidate, alleged that it was the federal lawmaker who took off with N74 million on the eve of the general elections.
He said: ” I want to plead with Ajuloopin to go back to Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and ask him what the N50 million was used for.
“Till now, we have not seen that money in the party’s account.
“As the financial secretary of APC, I know about all that happened in the party.
“On the N50 million allegedly given to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, I want to plead with Hon. Ajuloopin to ask the governor who the money was delivered to and what was it meant for?
“How can he say he gave somebody N50 million? That is a big lie from Hon. Ajuloopin.
“All the money expended on Hon. Ajuloopin was provided by Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
“This is my challenge to Ajuloopin: let him account for the N74 million.
“What did he do with it? Why did he disappear on the eve of the election?”
According to Tajudeen, all the money spent on the election of Ajuloopin was transferred from the Kwara APC account.
“All the money I am talking about was given by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, all the state Assembly members collected N500,000 each from Mohammed and not the governor.
“They thanked him then, now they are saying another thing.
“I can say it everywhere, all the money was transferred from Kwara APC account to all the members of the House of Assembly,” he said.
