The Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa led faction of the Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the utterances of the Chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, of the APC reconciliation committee as prejudicial and unfortunate.
The group’s disagreement which was contained in a press release signed by its Publicity Secretary, Barr. Sharafdeen Ibrahim was in reaction to statements credited to the reconciliation committee Chairman upon their arrival in Ilorin on Monday, when they visited the Governor of Kwara state, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the Government House.
Adamu, according to a statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to Gov. AbdulRazaq, Rafiu Ajakaiye was quoted to have said, his committee was in Kwara to reconcile ‘genuinely aggrieved’ party members, stressing that they won’t allow anybody rubbish nor say anything untoward about the State government.
The release reads “Our attention has been drawn to the press statement credited to the chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee Senator Abdullahi Adamu (former governor of Nassarawa state) where he was quoted to have said “I am in Kwara state to reconcile genuine aggrieved members of the party in the state” He stated further that, “we will not accept any action or utterances that can deepen division or rubbish APC led administration in the state”.
“While we find it difficult to place his definition of “genuine aggrieved members of the party in the state” we want to state here categorically that we take very strong exception to such prejudicial remark from a man who is expected to be neutral in view of the volatile nature of his assignment. We view such belligerent tone as a prelude to what to expect as the outcome of his committee’s report.
“It is our belief that anyone who uses reason to escape history will end up repeating history. We assumed that a prudent statesman heading a reconciliatory committee of this nature would approach his job with caution and tact rather than resorting to emotions by referring to his previous relationship with one of the parties to the dispute with blameable nostalgia . This is a clear case of a judge descending into the arena of dispute.
“Needless to say that prior to the arrival of committee in the state on 10th of January 2022, the parties had been requested to make their presentations in writing which we did. However, while we appreciate the intervention of the committee in finding lasting solution to the lingering crises in the Kwara APC, we noticed the unpleasant body language and conduct of the Chairman were at variance with the stated objective of the committee.
“Further, even if the committee chairman has a long-standing relationship with the partrach of Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq’s family, it is indecent to use the venue of the meeting to express sentimental attachment as it is suggestive of bias.
At this juncture, we are not in anyway insinuating or impugning on the intergrity and character of members of the committee; we know them as men and women of impeccable character.
“Finally, having done what is expected of us by articulating our grouse and proffering what we (in our humble views) consider as way forward to the committee, we hope the leadership of the party at the National level will do justice without fear or favour in the over all interest of the party” it reads.
