Despite efforts at rapprochement by the national Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed may face disciplinary action from the Kwara State chapter of the party very soon.
Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Samari Abubakar dropped the hint while speaking with newsmen in Abuja.
The All Progressives Congress Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee under the leadership of Yobe state governor, Mai Mala Buni, on Tuesday announced the extension of its membership registration and revalidation exercise following the disaffection expressed by the Minister of Information and his supporters who alleged that they were being excluded from the process.
The State governor, Abdulrahman Abdul Razaq and Chief Lai Mohammed have been engaged in cold war for the control of the ruling party structures in the North Central State.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman said the party faithful were scandalised over comments attributed to the Minister of Information that the present administration in the state had failed the people. He further noted that Governor Abdul Razaq was being distracted by the unending criticisms coming from a senior member of the party.
He said:”As I said earlier on. I still see the Minister as a member of our party. Because he has not formally told us that he is moving out of the party which I doubt if he will go. He is a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where the APC as a ruling party is running the administration of government.
So I would not think he will want to move out. But from those utterances he made, the party, APC as structured have guidelines over issues. If we feel that what he said publicly amount to disrespect or causing acrimony within the party, honestly, we are going to make sure the rules of the party are applied against him and any other person.
Prodded further by newsmen to explain what the reprimand would be, Honourable, Abubakar said due process would be followed in any action to be taken.
“Well, there are guidelines like I told you. If the offence is commensurate to suspending him, or any other, definitely the rule of the party is going to apply because nobody is too big to be sanctioned. We want to have sanity in the party.”
“There are steps according to the party. It has to start from the particular ward of that fellow. Then come down to the Local Government than to the state. So, whatever decision is taken at the Ward, to Local government then to state, it will then be forwarded to the national level for ratification.”
Responding to the two weeks extension of the membership registration exercise, the Kwara State APC chairman said the Minister of Information was economical with the truth when he said he was precluded from the process.
“There are certain facts that some of you don’t know. When the appeal committee came to Kwara, we met with them. There was this allegation that some people were not allowed to register. But mind you, that was wrong.
“If you come in then, the rooms were open. It was just that some people were discouraging others not to come out and register. For whatever reason, we may not know. Let me tell you categorically that Alhaji Lai Muhammed as a Minister registered. Quote me, anywhere. I can show the date he registered.
“He registered at his ward at Oro Kwara State. You can confirm that from me. The extension of registration is not a new thing. It is not that the Alhaji Lai group or camp has won anything.:
Remember that I also authorized a document that APC national secretariat should extend the registration in Kwara state for at least one week because a lot of people came into the party.
And, we just have to allow them as members of the party whereby they will have the equal right to take part in whatever is going on during the congresses.
“I authored a paper signed under the leadership of the governor who is the leader of the party in Kwara state, that is Governor AbdulRahman urging the national secretariat to please extend the registration exercise for at least a week in Kwara.
“If they are now extending it to two weeks, it is not glory to anyone who wants to claim because we requested for that, and I think the national only acted in that recognition of our letter.”
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