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We, the 12 Ward Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Offa Local Government Chapter, wish to react to the press release issued by our former Local Government Party Chairman, Abdulganiyu Kennedy, who has since his removal turned himself to a factional chairman.
It is an incontrovertible fact that the erstwhile former chairman, Kennedy emerged by the constitutional provision of affirmation. His subsequent removal was fully implemented by the same constitutional process of affirmation.
We wish to inform the public that Kennedy had ceased being the Chairman of APC for Offa Local Government Area in the last one year for the following reasons:
A: That Abdulganiyu Kennedy at a meeting of the stakeholders held at home of the Party’s elder, Chief J.A. Shogo stated categorically that his primary loyalty is not to the party but to his leader, who sponsored his nomination as chairman of the party, Hon Saheed Popoola, as such he would not align with any other general interest except sanctioned by Hon Popoola.
We tolerated his position with the thinking that with time, he would be liberal and accommodate all interest towards building a United party but he never changed his factional fabric and exhibited his factional tendencies without caution. Things began to fall apart after the death of the Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Hassan Salami, who was the stabilizer.
B: This retrogressive stand aided in polarising the party along factional lines which created disunity of all organs of the party at the local government level.
C: In furtherance of this divisiveness, the group loyal to Hon Saheed Popoola with Kennedy as linchpin, conducted an illegal ward Congress at Adee compound, besides the house of Alhaji Olagunju in Ojomu central A ward, where they elected their 12 ward Chairmen.
D: That all palliatives and empowerment initiatives received by Kennedy from their sponsors had always been distributed among his factional ward Chairmen
E: Importantly, that Abdulganiyu Kennedy as a civil servant in Offa Local Government Council, given the civil service rules, cannot effectively and efficiently discharge his responsibility as Local Party Chairman.
The illogical assertion by Kennedy that there have been reconciliation process ongoing, thus harping on that to lay claim to his lost seat is laughable.
Kennedy did not contest election as chairman and cannot dispute his removal by process of affirmation which produced him.
His attempt to bring Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq into the issue is misplaced. What is happening in Offa is purely a local affair being treated locally.
Kennedy’s case is lesson for all of us to believe in what we do and do what we believe in, he is a victim of
his lack of faith in the party system but his sponsors, and he now cries wolf where there is none.
We state categorically and unequivocally that the Offa local government APC Party Chairman is Hon AbdulLateef Afolayan. We have equally passed a vote of confidence on his leadership at the Offa General Stackholders meeting of the party held on the 17th October,2020.
Signed:
(1) Alh. Muritala Adegboye
Shawo Central
(2) Alh. Korede
Shawo South East.
The Pendulum 