More APC members may be suspended - Samari

The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar Samari has warned its members against anti-party activities, as the executive would no longer condone SUCH.

Samari, in a chat with The Guardian, in Ilorin, justified the recent suspension of 11 members by the APC National Executive over alleged breach of party rules and regulations.

He cautioned others, “who may want to exhibit the same trait to desist from it because, this time around, we will not hesitate to close the door of our great party against those who will not do the party bidding.”

He urged the media not to further polarise the party in Kwara through alleged categorisations of some as supporters of the state Governor AbdulRahaman Abdul Razak on one side and that of Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on the other.
He added: “I don’t know who are Lai Mohammed’s loyalists and those who are not his loyalists. What I know is that any member that has breached the party’s Constitution will not go unpunished. That is what has happened to those 11 people.”

The APC had suspended 11 party chieftains believed to be loyalists of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.

The suspension letter was signed by the National Secretary, Caretaker/Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Sen. James Akpanudoedehe, and addressed to Kwara State Chairman, Abdullahi Abubakar Samari.
Those affected were Joseph Tsado, Bamidele Ogunbayo, Issa Fulani, Imam Abdulkadir, Morufu Olaniyi Yusuf, Saludeen Lukman, Kerebu Fatai, Bola Ajani, Nurudeen Fasasi, Salman Shehu Babatunde and Abdullateef Ahmed Kolawole.

They were handed the punitive measure for dragging the Kwara State Chairman, Abdullahi Abubakar Samari to court. The Minister’s group had opposed the removal of Bashir Bolarinwa Omolaja, as the party caretaker chairman in Kwara State, leading to the protracted crisis, which has divided the party into two factions and pitted Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq against the Minister in a struggle for the control of the party.

The 11 party men, however, approached the court to demand removal of the approved State Caretaker Committee Chairman, Samari, contrary to the directive of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of June 25, 2020, where it was resolved that no party member should institute any action in court.