The Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has indicated that it may sanction the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed over his recent outburst against governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq in the state.
The minister had claimed that he sponsored the electioneering campaigns of the governor in 2019 which has been denied.
Responding to the development in an interview Wednesday in Abuja, the APC Chairman Caretaker Committee in Kwara State, Abdullahi Samari Abubakar, said the party may apply disciplinary measures according to the party’s constitution.
Samari 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 structure have guidelines over issues. If we feel that what he said publicly amonut 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.”
When asked whether the minister will be suspended or expelled from the APC, the Kwara party Chairman said: “Well, there are guidelines like I told you. If the offense 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.”
The sanction, Samari said will take place “very soon.
“Well, 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 then 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.”
The APC chieftain also confirmed that Lai Mohammed had earlier revalidated his membership of the APC in the state.
“There are certain facts that some of you dont 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 the 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 whwantsnt to claim because we requested for that, and I think the national only acted in that recognition of our letter.”
