This press statement becomes imperative as it aims to shed more lights on some unpleasant happenings before and after the success of our party in the 2023 Polls.
It also provides an avenue to announce critical actions taken by the Ward Executive Committee and ratified by the general meeting to safe guard the sanctuary of the party in Igbaja.
It will be recalled that few months to the 2023 campaigns and elections proper, a few disgruntled elements in our party (APC) unceremoniously left the party based on individual selfish reasons to other parties. They equally exhibited glaring hatred against the leader of the party and Governor of Kwara State, Mallam Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq CON.
To the defectors, Mallam Abdulrahaman Abdulrasaq CON, should not be allowed to re-contest the legitimate second term as Governor of the state after a successful first term tenure. In doing so, his personality was maligned and concocted stories were framed against his administration. To God be all glory, Mallam Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq CON, through the will of Allah and support of loyal members of APC across the state won his renomination to contest and was returned with overwhelming votes in the 2023 Gubernatorial election as second term Chief Executive of Kwara State.
Unfortunately Igbaja Ward 1, was seriously affected by the mass exodus of defectors especially when the Ward Chairman, Mallam Dikko defected with others to SDP. Ordinarily, the Vice Chairman then, Mallam Raheem Arije should have been considered to take over the mantle of leadership in the Ward. However other members of the Ward EXCO rejected his leadership as a result of his waywardness, lack of commitments to party ideals and failures to participate effectively in party activities. Alh Daud Afolabi was therefore suggested as his replacement while Raimi Arije remains as the Vice Chairman.
At the local Ward inaugural meeting to announce and ratified the new Chairman, Mallam Raimi Arije publicly accepted and embraced Alh Daud Afolabi as new Ward Chairman of APC Igbaja Ward 1, the position he ( Alh Daud Afolabi) held meritoriously for effective 2023 elections and to date. See pictures
To the credit of Alh Daud Afolabi leadership qualities, we won all the 2023 elections including both Presidential and Gubernatorial elections in our Ward. This has won him the accolade of ‘Winning Chairman’ amongst his peers.
It is necessary to mention that Raimi Arije never participatated in the electioneering in any form.
It is also recalled that one Gbenga Oyekunle also known as Gbenga Power was among notorious defectors. It is no news that he jumps parties. He started from APC to YPP then to ADC because of overbloated ambition to lead. He settled as ADC House of Reps candidate in the last elections but failed woefully.
In his usual manners, he unofficially returned to APC on the eve of the gubernatorial election. He never came to the Ward to officially inform his decision to rejoin nor revalidated his membership according to the constitution of the party. The law of the party is very clear on how to return to the party.
Unexpectedly, after the victory of the party in the elections, he began to gather his ilks in the party for the control of the Ward EXCO using Rasheed Awobimpe and Ibrahim Awobimpe as fronts. Their antics became known when our Ward Chairman, Alh Daud Afolabi was disallowed from attending the recent meeting with all party leaders across the state with His Excellency, Mallam Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq CON.
Following the developments, a Ward EXCO meeting was summoned where 2/3 of members resolved to retain Alh Daud Afolabi as Chairman because of his outstanding sterling leadership traits that led the party to victory in Igbaja Ward 1.( See list signed by members)
The decision was communicated to the local and state Secretariats of the party accordingly.
Furthermore, the first Ward meeting after the elections was also held on 17th June, 2023 to discuss party activities and ratified the resolutions of the Ward Exco on the Chairmanship issue. The meeting resolved uninanimously to investigate and suspend seven members out of 27 Exco members who were regarded as black legs that were romancing with Gbenga Oyekunle aka Gbenga Power to cause rift in the party.
The suspended members were given two weeks to retrace their steps or face expulsion from the party. All decisions were accordingly communicated to the local government Chairman , Alh Abdullateef Kadir at various times.
We also communicated the factionalisation plan of the party by Gbenga Oyekunle through the sponsorship of alternative party Secretariat and install his puppet Ward Exco to be led by Raheem Arije who had forfeited his rights to retain the Ward Chairmanship at reconciliatory meeting held before the elections where he voluntarily accepted the leadership of Alh Daud Afolabi as Ward Chairman.
It is surprising therefore that the Chairman of the party in Ifelodun local government, Alh Abdullateef Kadir who was constantly briefed of all developments decided to lead a factionalised local government Exco to Igbaja on 26th June 2023 to hand over APC Igbaja Ward 1 to his paymaster, Gbenga Oyekunle So many questions are begging for answers from the show of shame exhibited by those involved in the failed exercise, which included the illegal relocation of the officially recognized Ward Party Secretariat in Igbaja and imposition of paralel EXCO.
It is important to state that the State Secretariat is handling all matters relating to the Chairmanship tussle in Igbaja Ward 1. The party leader and Governor of Kwara State, His Excellency, Mallam Abdulrahaman AbdulRazaq CON is also involved in the amicable resolution of the matter before their show of shame on June 26 in Igbaja.
Finally, Igbaja people are asking on whose authority was Alh Abdullateef Kadir came to Igbaja? Rather than assisting to reconcile, he came to set the house of APC on fire not only in Igbaja but Ifelodun LGA because he allowed other Wards to dabble into purely an internal matter of our Ward.
Let it finally be resolved and it is hereby resolved that:
1. We reject in totality all actions taken at yesterday’s ( 26th June, 2023) dubious meeting in Igbaja, as the authentic authority to convene such meeting has no knowledge of the meeting. It is also unfortunate that the name and office of His Excellency, Mallam Abdulrahaman AbdulRazaq CON was usurped. Without any iota of doubt the presence of Moshood Alaka was procured to fake the representation of His Excellency, Mallam Abdulrahaman AbdulRazaq CON at the occasion. What an undignified role and crime!
2. That all the suspended 7 members of Ward 1 Exco are hereby expelled from the party as they have brought the party into unnecessary controversy and disrepute. The persons involved are ;
i- Raheem Arije
ii- Omokeye Adeola
iii-Ibrahim Awobimpe
iv-Segun Awoyemi
v- Idowu Fatai Kadir
vi-Ganiyu Olaitan
vii-Bayo Wojuaye
3. That we reject the backdoor re-entry of Gbenga Oyekunle to the party as he failed to meet the required provisions of the party’s constitution. In fact, we can no longer tolerate him and stands rejected to rejoin the party, his Greek gift notwithstanding.
We hasten to say that it was within the so called unfit Ward Secretariat, we planned and executed the successful 2023.elections and brought glory to Igbaja and the party.
We also appreciate our appointed public officers for been good Ambassadors of Igbaja people in the government of Gov AA administration.
4. That the activities of Alh Abdullateef Kadir be investigated as he demonstrated that his leadership of the party at local government level is a cash and carry affairs.
Signed: Mallam Abdulkareem Abdulfattah
Public Relations Officer,
Igbaja Ward 1
