Kwara APC Crisis: Stakeholders’ meeting ends in stalemate

The crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress appears to have defied resolution as the stakeholders meeting held at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja on Monday allegedly ended in a stalemate.

This is as the chief protagonists in the crisis Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, governor of Kwara State and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, avoided newshounds who tried to get their reaction to the crisis.

The two APC leaders, we gathered, led ten persons each to the meeting said to have been brokered by the Caretaker Committee.

Secretary of the CECPC, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe, chaired the stakeholders meeting in the absence of the Committee Chairman, Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe State.

Other members in attendance included Governor of Niger State, Sani Bello, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, Senator Yusuf Yusuf, Prof. Tahir Mamman, Alhaji Ishmael Ahmed, Mrs. Stella Oketete

Fielding questions after the meeting, the Niger State governor and member of the Caretaker Committee, Sani Bello, told newsmen that the meeting did not end in stalemate as speculated saying instead that the Committee asked the North Central APC zone to go and look into the crisis and report back to the Committee.

He said, “We looked at the issue surrounding APC in kwara state and we had brief submission from some of the stakeholders and it involve that the matter should be taken back to the zone for the zone to look at the issues surrounding the problems and report back to the National caretaker committee.

“So, I hope that by next week we should be able to resolve the matter at the zonal level and once that is done we can put our recommendations to the Caretaker committee for further action.

“So, it was a very short brief meeting that lasted maybe 30 minutes but I think we have achieved a lot but I can also say that the causes of this conflict is mostly due to communication gap which I hope we were able to resolve. But whatever decision we will take we will make sure that there is no bias and also whatever decision we will take we will make sure that it is in the interest of our great party, the APC. We have no intention to favour any person but to look critically at the situation and to advise the Caretaker Committee on the necessary steps to take. I think that is our audit.”

Asked what are the issues to be looked at, he said, “Like I said there was a communication gap and I think that communication gap led to the action then and that is what we are trying to look at and resolve and to agree amicably on what we think is good for the party in kwara State. So I think communication gap really played a role. “

On whether the factions would accept the decision of the North Central Zone, the Niger State governor said: “Well for me we will try our best to see that we work out a way that will be acceptable to both parties if possible but again whatever decision we take we will look at the party first.”  (Daily Independent)