Kwara APC Chieftain Tackles Lai Mohammed

Controversy over who funded the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections in Kwara State raged on yesterday.

Secretary of the local chapter of the party Mustapha Ishowo took on Information, Culture and Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed over his claim that funded the party during the polls.

According to Ishowo, the minister’s claim was not only “false, but self-serving and a baseless self- promotion.

Addressing a news conference in Ilorin yesterday, the party’s spokesman, who was also a principal officer of the party in 2019, condemned what he called the “minister’s dictatorial and divisive tendencies”, adding that it was unbelievable that Mohammed could make such a claim.

The minister and the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq have been at loggerheads, resulting in the emergence of factions in Kwara APC and the duo throwing verbal darts at each other.

Mohammed told some party faithful in July that the party entered “one chance” by supporting AbdulRazaq’s ticket, claiming he contributed a major part of the funds for the 2019 elections in the state.

The governor fired back and described the minister as political lightweight, whose contribution to the APC victory was inconsequential.

Ishowo said: “The Governor’s crime since the campaign period was to insist on mutual respect, equity, and transparent use of campaign funds.

“As a party elder, one would have been quiet because it is always important to give room for peace and reconciliation, no matter the situation. However, silence in the face of tyranny and naked falsehood may be interpreted as agreement or consent.

He said: “Alhaji Lai had for long taken advantage of the governor’s coolheaded nature. Maybe it is time to really open the can of worms for the world to better know Alhaji Lai for who he is. Alhaji Lai is never a team player. His claim of funding elections is bogus…”

– The Nation