Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is also a stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state has cleared the air on the allegation of diversion of the Kwara State 2019 APC general elections campaign funds, saying that he single-handedly raised all the funds for the prosecution of the elections in the state.
Responding to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s recent allegation that some cabals within the party received hundreds of millions of naira as donations for the Kwara struggle from far and wide and did not deliver a kobo to him, the minister denied the allegations.
Speaking in Ilorin on Saturday while addressing party members at the new state APC party secretariat in GRA of the metropolis, the minister said that the last membership registration and revalidation in the state was a charade, saying no congress would take place in the state until all members are duly registered.
He said he got that assurance from the acting National Chairman of APC Mai Mala Buni.
“I never diverted All Progressives Congress (APC) 2019 general elections for my personal use as alleged by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrasaq.”
By the grace of God, I single-handedly with the support of friends, politicians and family raised all the monies for the Oke-Ero/Isin/Ekiti/Irepodun Federal Constituency bye-election of November 2019 that brought Hon. Tunji Olawuyi to the House of Representatives.
“And I challenge anybody here to say he gave the party one penny apart from what I gave them. I challenge anybody here to say he gave logistics support to the party too. I did that by the grace of God and I distributed 500 motorcycles and 20 vehicles. And many of the beneficiaries are here today.”
“I want them to explain to Nigerians about what happened to the N70million that Hon Olawuyi released but the governor refused to give us during the bye-election.
“I had to go to friends to raise another N150 million to prosecute that election. I remember very well that there are 42 wards in that constituency. We thank God today that was the beginning of our success.”
“When elections proper came, we did not see our governorship candidate.
“We could not wait. I say without any fear of contradictions that by the grace of God, with the money raised from friends, colleagues and associates we financed the four elections and we scored 100 per cent.”
“I remember a governor when we won the first election calling me to ask if it was true we won the bye-election. And I told him ‘yes sir.’
He said “I want to apologise to you when you came to me for money, they advised me not to give you. They told me you are a Lagos politician, that nobody can defeat saraki.”
On the forthcoming state congresses nationwide, Alhaji Mohammed said that: “The Acting National Chairman of APC, Mai Mala Buni has assured us that no congress will take place in Kwara State until all our members are registered. And that the congress will be free and fair by the grace of God.”
“About two weeks ago, myself in the company of for governorship aspirant, Prof Shuaib AbdulRaheem and others went to meet with the chairman and he assured us that Kwara State is a special case and there will be no congress until we are all registered. And we believe him. When they come, please come out in your thousands and let them know where the power lies.”
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