Aggrieved members of the factional All Progressives Congress in Kwara have alleged that the the primary elections held ahead of the 2019 gubernatorial election in the state was rigged in favour of Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq.

The members who are loyal supporters of the two serving ministers from the state, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and the Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki, among other APC chieftains in the state, described Mr Abdulrazaq as a poor manager of victory despite the fact that he was imposed on the party.

“Out of the four tendencies that coalesced to bring him to power, he was the weakest.

“The other three only decided to forgo their personal interests and ambition so that the party would win the 2019 general elections.

“If the primary election that was rigged in his favour was allowed to run its full course, he would have performed woefully,” Rasak Alabi, the Kwara South Senatorial chairman of factional APC loyal group, said.

The members who announced their defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), on Saturday at a news conference attended by members from the 16 local government areas of the state described the governor as a “hit and run” politician.

“Gentlemen, if the national leadership of the party does not believe that we are politically relevant in the state, we need to make them understand also that the man they queued behind is also a blown-out fuse not capable of leading the party to any victory in the state come 2023.

“He has personalised governance and reduced it by promoting mediocrity over merit,” Mr Alabi claimed.

He said that the governor refused to consult with party leaders and elders, like Mr Mohammed, Mrs Saraki, and others in the affairs of both the party and governance.

“Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is really not pride to the APC.

“Because of his limitations, the Governor is never comfortable in the midst of educated and competent people. That precisely explains his desire to deregister credible people from the party,” Mr Alabi said.

He added, “Despite a series of communication between us and the national leadership of the party and the visitations made, it was a thing of regret that the national leadership neglected every bit of our complaints.”

The secretariat of the APC loyalists located on Reservation Road, GRA Ilorin, is now the state secretariat of the SDP.

The ruling APC and the state government are yet to react to the development. 

(NAN)