Ministerial Seat may tear APC Apart in Kwara as crisis looms

  

  There are strong indications that ministerial seat may tear APC apart in Kwara state if urgent steps are not taking to address the issue now.

  It was learnt also  that the euphoria that greeted the victorious edging out of the Saraki dominance of Kwara State politics may be short-lived if the leadership of the APC at the national level fails to decide a looming crisis.   

                                                       

   Reliable source unfolded that demand by members of the party from the Kwara North senatorial district for adequate reward, fairness and equity in sharing of party positions may pitch the state governor against the immediate past Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, believed to be one of the architects of APC victory in the state in 2019 general election.

 Obviously dissatisfied by the present configuration of party positions in the state, members from the north senatorial district are clamouring for ministerial position currently enjoyed by Lai Mohammed who is from Kwara South.

Driving home the demand, it was reliably informed that members of APC Kwara North has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to give the only ministerial slot for Kwara State in the composition of his new cabinet to the senatorial district.

  They also said that this will place the district on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and sources alleged that the State governor bought into the demand of Kwara North which has not filled any notable position in the present configuration in the state.

  The governor, it was learnt, is supporting Kwara North demand to pacify the Director General of his campaign outfit (AACO), Alhaji Muhammed Kudu, who is from the north senatorial district and one of the major champions of the course.

 But a Government House source said that the governor was sincere in his approach to the issue because as the leader of the party in the state, he wants every senatorial district to be represented in the affairs of the party. However, the Lai Mohammed’s camp was said to have deemed the step taken by members from the north senatorial district as been influenced by the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

  A close associate of the former Information minister said: “The minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has laboured greatly for President Buhari’s government, defending the administration at any given opportunity, so he deserves another term as a minister.

  “Also, if you consider his efforts in delivering Kwara State to APC in the last election, you will agree that he deserves to have the ministerial slot for Kwara again. He said the state governor should talk to party members from the north senatorial district to accept other juicy positions available for Kwara at the federal level and not do anything that will rock the peace of APC in the state. “The ministerial slot is not the only position that Kwara State will be entitled to.

  There is ambassadorial slot, board appointment positions in Federal Government agencies and parastatals. So, why should it be this particular position being held by Alhaji Lai Mohammed?”, he said while charging party members across senatorial districts to maintain peace. He added: “It is in atmosphere of peace that the APC government in our state can thrive and give dividends of democracy to all of us.

   But many Nigerians who commented on the issue on condition of anonymity throw their weight behind the need to appoint another person from Kwara North senatorial district for justice, equity and fairness, pointing out that Alhaji Lai Mohammed did not forget anything in the Federal Executive Council. The people advised him to use the benefits he acquired to develop himself because there are other people in the state so that the dividends of democracy will go round.