Scores defect from Kwara APC to form ‘third force’

By Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

The crisis rocking the Kwara state All Progressives Congress (APC) Saturday reached its crescendo as scores of members officially renounced their membership of the party.

The former APC members, who did not mention the name of their next political party, publicly set ablaze the broom which is the symbol of APC.

Though the defectors said they are yet to join forces with any political party, but some of them wore fez caps with the inscription of Young Progressives Party (YPP).

Addressing reporters in Ilorin, Kwara Central APC senatorial chair, Abdulfatai AbdulRaman said defectors denonuced APC in the state to form “Kwara Third Force for the yearnings and betterment of Kwarans.”

Alhaji AbdulRaman revealed that prolonged internal crisis in the party led to their defection, adding that “it is disheartening, shameful and preposterous that Kwara APC cannot manage its success even after at half time of its tenure in the saddle of governance in the state.

“The struggle for the soul of the party, which cannot be divorced from the 2023 political ambitions has been the root cause of the lingering internal squabbles.”

He said that the crisis reached its apogee during the just concluded membership registration and revalidation, alleging grand design to disenfranchise and revalidate many.

He said: “A grand design that denied majority of party members the opportunity to register and revalidate their membership across the state is a 2023 permutation agenda. We can never cross our fingers and watch the game from the sideline.

“In addition, there is also an evidence that the incumbent governor has concluded every arrangement to ensure all elective positions from the wards to the state level work in his favour to ease his reelection bid as governorship flagbearer of the party.

“Accordingly, we the over 20,000 card-carrying members of APC including senatorial chairmen, local government party chairmen, women and youth leaders, ward chairmen as well as APC stalwarts across all the 16 local government areas in the state hereby denounce APC.”