From Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and 21 other members have thrown their weight behind the removal of Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa as the state chairman of the party. Also on Monday, 7 out of the 9 members of the National Assembly from the state have supported the move of the national caretaker committee of the party over the removal of Bolarinwa from office. The duo in a separate letter addressed to the national chairman caretaker committee of the APC and Yobe state governor, Alhaji Mai Malla Buni and stated that it would restore sanity to the party in the state.
The Speaker and 21 other members in a letter addressed to Alhaji Buni and jointly signed by them stated that the appointment of the state deputy chairman of the party, Alhaji Samari Abdullahi as the acting chairman of the caretaker committee of the party was in the right direction.
The state house of assembly in a letter addressed to the national chairman caretaker committees/ convention planning committee dated January 14, 2021, said: ‘As an arm of government and particularly, a ruling government, we the members of the Kwara state house of Assembly wish to sincerely commend the better than never efforts of the leadership or our great party-APC at the national level.
‘The bold step taken at suspending the Ex- chairman over a plethora of misdeeds that had been allowed to linger on for over a long period unchecked will hopefully put an end to the embarrassment that we went through painfully.’
The letter which was also copied to the Chairman Progressives Governor’s Forum and Chairman, North Central Governor’s Forum said that: ‘Your Excellency, it is the only antidote that can bring back sanity, trusted loyalty as well as breed positive development to the state through good governance.
‘Your Excellency, it is better imagined than witnessed of the absolute anti-party and anti-government activities brazenly and continually displaced by the suspected chairman. His activities in reference appear to be motivated by certain power blocks”. The lawmaker added that, “As concerned legislators, we made several peace moves most of which got aborted either by the suspended chairman himself or his allies.
‘The suspension of the ex-chairman has relieved us of his unfortunate instigated man-made continual crisis within Kwara APC.
‘We hereby assure Your Leadership of our continued support, cooperation and loyalty towards sustaining our party to greater heights. As products of the party that brought us into our present positions, we call on your leadership to continue to instil discipline which suffer penalties into our party in order to checkmate those individuals holding our constitutional responsibilities.’
Also, the seven out of the nine members of the National Assembly from the state have pledged their support to the appointment of Alhaji Samari Abdullahi as the acting state chairman of the party in the state.
The seven National Assembly members from the state that signed the letter are Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, Senator Lola Ashiru, Senator Umar Sadik, Abdulraheem Olatunji Olawuyi, Tijani Kolawole Ismail, Unar Bio and Abubakar Ahmed Ndakene.
In a letter addressed and sent to the national chairman caretaker committees the party and signed by the seven out of 9 members of the national assembly said that: ‘It has become imperative for us to write this letter to express our profound gratitude to you as the chairman and members of the caretake committee for your proactive intervention on the simmering crisis on the Kwara state chapter of our party, APC.
‘Alhaji Abdullahi Samari appointment as the new chairman of the caretaker committee of APC, Kwara state chapter demonstrate your leadership capacity and courage. “Your committee has been doing all that is necessary to bring lasting stability to our party and emphasise the priority that our party places on good governance to fulfil the mandate given to your committee by the NEC of our party.’