‘The Centre’ Still Holds As ‘Political Ambitions’, ‘Largesse’ Tear APC Apart In Kwara

Kwara State APC is getting torn apart from within, the fractures running through the state chapter have continued to widen and if this remains unchecked, the political implosion may be devastating.

The main thing that has somewhat promoted intra party conflict in the state APC is ‘political ambition’ while the accentuating factor is ‘largesse’.

The ‘political commotion’ began in Moro local government and the better part of last week was made to witness one ‘political drama’ or another.

The ‘political drama’ in Moro local government had two parts and at the centre of it is the number one citizen of the local government, Hajia Mariam Abdulwasiu Omotayo.

She had reportedly sought to replace party officials at the 17 wards in the local government ditto the local government exco and those she had made to be the replacements had gathered in Shao to interact with a House of Representatives aspirant, Mohammed Baba Ibrahim , who is the Bursar of Kwara State Polytechnic,Ilorin.

The gathering was at the instance of  Hajia Mariam Abdulwasiu Omotayo and they were there to receive ‘Ramadan package’ from Mohammed Baba Ibrahim.

Hajia Mariam Abdulwasiu Omotayo is said to be one of the foot soldiers of Speaker Yakubu Salihu Danladi and she had done this in advance of 2027 guber primary election believing that it will stand the easygoing politician in good stead.

The existing members of excos in the 17 wards and the local government, headed by Sulaiman Raji aka Dan Kano however moved to the venue with their supporters to assert themselves as ‘authentic’ party officials and in the melee that ensued, people were injured and properties destroyed.

 Sulaiman Raji aka Dan Kano had become the acting APC chairman in Moro local government following the exit of the chairman and the Vice Chairman.

Before taking a breather from that, the Moro local government chapter of the APC got involved in another ‘political drama’ and it had to do with the resignation of Hon Abdulah Abdulrauph Abdulsalam from the party.

Abdulsalam , a former Secretary of Moro local government, had in his resignation letter dated March 20, 2025, cited intractable intra party conflicts in the local government chapter of the party.

Reacting to Abdulsalam’s resignation from the APC, he was called a mole , who was never truly a member of the party.

Abdulsalam, who told Team@orientactualmags.com that he has moved on, however denied anti-party allegations while also clarifying that the picture he took with Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Gbemisola Saraki on March 15, 2025, was during the iftar dinner he attended in his capacity as  National Secretary of Ilorin Emirate for Unity and Development Initiative (IEUDI).

While this ‘political drama’ was going on, members of the party in Ekiti local government entered the ‘political fray’!

The dramatis personae are Honourable Abolarin Ganiyu Gabriel,, who represents Ekiti State constituency in Kwara State House of Assembly, the state chairman of the party, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, the chairman of Ekiti local government, Wale Awelewa, chairman of the party in the local government, Hon Ayo from Eruku,   and former chairman, Ekiti local government, Hon Yinka Dallas.

It was learned that pent-up anger stood as ‘conflict trigger’ in Ekiti local government APC and stakeholders in the party had sought to let out this anger during the meeting held at Hon. Soji Obasanjo Alasi’s office in Ilorin on Friday, March 21, 2025.

Prince Sunday Fagbemi and Hon. Soji Obasanjo Alasi are indigenes of Obbo-Aiyegunle.

The first chairman of Ekiti local government, Pa Folarinde Gbadeyan had called the attention of the APC leaders to the non-invitation of former LG chairmen including Dele Abiodun and Yinka Dallas to meetings attended by stakeholders in the local government including the one held on Friday seeking to know the parameters used in choosing the 5 representatives from each of the wards.

Dallas had also in an open letter complained about the ways things are being done in the party while laying the blame for this at Prince Sunday Fagbemi’s door.

That was not all; he had called for the resignation of party officials at the state level from their positions.

Chairman of APC in Isapa Ward, Mr Adewumi Daniel however claimed that Dallas was never a card-carrying member of the party and was never recognized at the ward level.

Ekiti local government APC exco also on Sunday publicly okayed the decision taken by the Isapa Ward exco.

Although Dallas had made pictures taken during his defection ceremony available to assert that he is a member of the party, he is yet to however add that of his membership card.

Hon Ganyu Abolarin Gabriel and Hon Yinka Dallas are from Isapa , but there is no love lost between them, and it is believed that Mr Adewumi Daniel is doing the state lawmaker’s bidding.

 Hon Ganyu Abolarin Gabriel, who is a second term member of the state house of assembly, is planning to ‘graduate’ to the federal level in 2027.

‘Hon Abolarin is planning to seek Isin/Irepodun/Ekiti/Oke-Ero APC reps nomination in 2027 and he considers Hon Dallas as a potential rival.

Dallas is a former student unionist and by his nature he would like to be relevant and have a say in the way things are done he will not like to queue behind Abolarin or see him as his political leader.

Abolarin has ensured that Dallas was not invited to meetings attended by stakeholders since he defected to the party, it has been zero recognition for him and that is the main reason why he is angry’ said a source.

In the meanwhile, Hon Ganiyu Abolarin Gabriel, who is the Chief Whip of Kwara State House of Assembly and has proved himself as the defacto APC leader in Ekiti local government, becomes another year older today.

 Another issue that cropped up during the ‘stakeholder meeting’ held at Hon. Soji Obasanjo Alasi’s office in Ilorin on Friday was allegations that Tunde Abolarin aka Kiji Osi , who is the chairman of the party in Osi Ward 2, replaced the names of 15 among exco members and had them replaced with new faces who got the N100,000 per person ‘largesse’ that came from ‘the top’.

Sources said Prince Sunday Fagbemi has ordered Hon Ayo to ensure that the money is refunded and given to rightful owners.

The supplanted Osi Ward 2 APC exco members, who are fuming with anger include Adewumi Bukola, General Secretary,  Sodiq Azeez ,Assistant Youth Leader, Abiodun Fatahi ,Legal Adviser,  Awilagbara Idowu, Assistant Organizing Secretary, Raji Onile, ex-officio 1, Adewumi Adeyemi, Auditor, and Ibrahim Amuda, Assistant Legal Adviser.

A meeting is scheduled to hold in respect of the matter tomorrow, Monday which will be attended by stakeholders in Osi Ward 2.

Following complaints that party structures are not being ‘oiled’, each Ward exco member in the state had gotten N100,000 a few days ago.

In all the intra party conflicts in the state APC, what has stood as the causative factor is the failure of party members to put political ambitions on ice while showing through their actions that the ‘world is their oyster’.

The intraparty conflicts notwithstanding, ‘the centre still holds’ in Kwara State APC-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you’