Kwara State chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa on Monday  opened up in the protracted crisis rocking the party in the state, saying  that, the crisis is caused by disconnect between the state governor on one hand, the party executive and party elders of the ruling party.

Addressing a Press conference in Ilorin on Monday, Bolarinwa said that the allegation of maladministration being levelled against him by some members of the party was a trick by those who did not work for the victory of the party in the last general elections to hijack the party.

Chief Sunday Oyebiyi, Kwara North Senatorial chairman of APC who spoke on behalf of the party chairman accused the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of dumping the party after the electoral victory of the party last year added that, every efforts made till now to make him seen reason has failed.

He said, “At this juncture, we need to reiterate that, contrary to the norm, there is gapping disconnect between the governor and the party and between the governor and revered party elders. 

“This scenario has been in place after the party primaries, during and indeed  after the polls.

We were also  part of the success of the governor at the election petition tribunal and we went to Government House to congratulate him and even took pictures with him but these aggrieved party exco went back on the second day and told the governor that, they are for the governor and his support group called “AA” support group and since that time, they decided to exempt themselves from the main stream of the party exco in the state”

He further pointed out that, “several party elders had tried to wade into the matter by meeting with the state party chairman, Alhaji Lai Muhammed and the governor himself.

“However, a follow up meeting with the governor to resolve the areas of differences has not been possible because the governor has refused to grant audience to the elders”.

On the allegation that the minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was instigating the crisis in the party, Bolarinwa absolved the minister adding that the minister provided logistics and support towards the electoral victory of the party in the state.

He said, “Their reference to a cabal is petty  within APC led by Alhaji Lai Muhammed is petty childish and laughable. They are afraid of their own shadows, and in going down, their willing to pull any strands with them. The APC will outlive many of them. 

“If the memories of these aggrieved people is short, we cannot be accused of same. The struggle to win election was fierce and challenging.

During this period of tribulation, it was only Alhaji Lai Muhammed that we saw, he sponsored sensitisation programme, provided logistics and other such supports requested from him.

He stood by us and together we navigated the rough roads to victory.

This is not news to our traducers, the only choose the part of mischieve”.

He said that, “the party  would continue to remain resolute and focused on the task of party building and streghtening based on the principle of cohesiveness and oneness.

“Any other agenda by the agents of divisive politics and their sponsors are anchored by genuine stakeholders in the Kwara project”.

Bolarinwa, therefore called on, “all genuine party members to join us in the tortuous task of saving our party from leeches and serial killer jobbers.”

He also assured members of the party that the party would continue to wax stronger and called on them to shun people that wanted to embark on divisive politics in the party.