October 16, (THEWILL) – Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State loyal to the minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed, on Saturday held a parallel state congress in Ilorin, the state capital.
At the event where the minister was conspicuously absent, the factional APC members elected Alh Bashir Bolarinwa, in absential, as the state’s APC factional chairman.
At the parallel congress, Bolarinwa alongside other new members of the executives emerged through an affirmative process.
Announcing the new executives, Dr Bolaji Afolabi, who served as returning officer, said the new executives emerged by the wish of the majority members of the party.
Other officials elected at the parallel congress are Chief Theophilous Sunday (vice chairman), Issa Agboji (secretary), Abolaji Rahmat (woman leader), Joseph Tsado (senatorial chairman – North), AbdulRaheem Akorede (senatorial chairman – Central), Barr. Rasak Alabi (senatorial chairman – South), and Sunkanmi Afolayan (Youth leader).
Addressing journalists after the inauguration of the new factional executives, the vice chairman, Chief Theophilous Sunday, said: “As you can see, over 1,000 delegates affirmed the new executives and we are ready to move the party forward through activities that will attract more people to the party.”
He said that the group adequately informed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the national secretariat of the party of its congress.
He, however, said that the new factional chairman, Alh Bashir Bolarinwa, could not make it to the venue of the congress due to certain reasons.
“BOB is absent for one reason or another, but as you can witness, people have clamoured for his return as chairman and that is the wish of the majority members of our party”, Oyebiyi added.
Chieftains of the Party that attended the parallel congress included a member of the Federal Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Yaman Abdullahi, member of the Federal House of Representatives, representing Ilorin East/South constituency, Hon. Ganiyu Cook-Olododo, and Hon. Saheed Popoola of the State House Assembly.
