Minister, Lai, wants Kwara APC registration exercise cancelled, cites misconduct

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that the ongoing membership registration and validation exercise of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State should be cancelled.

Mohammed stated this at a press conference in his hometown, Oro, on Monday, February 15.

According to the minister, the officials sent to the state to conduct the exercise have violated the procedure set by the party.

Furthermore, Mohammed revealed that the committee flouted the guidelines regarding the distribution of materials for the exercise.

“The guidelines are also clear on how registration materials are to be handed over and distributed. It says officials for the assignment are prohibited from handing over registration forms, other materials inclusive of registration data in a manner not prescribed by the exercise to unauthorized persons, and that the materials (forms, registers, and others) are to be distributed directly to the Registration Officers, and records of the distribution are to be captured and reported accordingly,” he said.

“The implication is that the registration is being carried out without Party Membership Register, while temporary membership slips, to be signed and detached from the forms after registration, are not being given to those who have purportedly registered.

“According to our findings, since the commencement of the registration, over 80% of the registration units do not have either membership register or membership registration slip,” Mohammed revealed.

READ ALSO: APC youths reject membership registration committee in Kwara

The Minister outlined solutions to the alleged misconduct surrounding the revalidation exercise.

“Based on the communication that I have received from APC stakeholders across the state on the report of the monitoring teams, and the glaring non-compliance with the stipulated guidelines for the membership, we, the critical stakeholders of the APC in Kwara State, hereby demand the following:

A) – Immediate cancellation of the APC Membership Registration Exercise in Kwara State and the putting in place of a process to ensure the conduct of a credible and fair exercise that will enjoy the support and confidence of all.

B) – The Immediate disbandment of the Senator John Danboyi-led Membership Registration Committee for Kwara State. A vast majority of the APC stakeholders in the state have lost confidence in the committee.

C) – The constitution of a fresh Membership Registration Committee that is truly independent, non-compromised, and sensitive to the delicate diverse interests in the party

D) – A thorough investigation into the botched membership registration exercise by the Senator John Danboyi-led committee.

E) – That these demands are the irreducible minimum requirements for peace and progress in the Kwara APC.”

He also accused the committee of taking sides on the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party by sidelining major ‘stakeholders’ who worked for the election of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Ripples Nigeria had reported how the simmering tension within the state chapter of the APC culminated in a rift between Mr AbdulRazaq and a group of party leaders led by Mr Mohammed.

It recently escalated when Bashir Bolarinwa, who is loyal to Mr Mohammed, was removed as the party chairman and replaced with Abdullahi Samari.

Although the national body and executives of the North Central zone of the party have intervened in the matter, they are yet to achieve reconciliation of the warring members.

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