The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has called for the cancellation of the ongoing membership registration and validation exercise of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State.
Mr Mohammed, at a press conference in his hometown, Oro, on Monday, said the officials sent to the state to conduct the exercise have violated the procedure set by the party.
Specifically, he said the committee flouted the guidelines regarding 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.
He demanded the “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.”
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.
Recall the lingering crisis in the party centred on 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.
