- Declares Support for 2023 Governorship zoning to Kwara North
- Calls for Cancelation of APC Registration and Revalidation Exercise in Kwara
The stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State have strongly condemned the take-over by the Kwara State Government, of the alleged criminal attacks case instituted by its members at the second registration and validation of membership sensitisation meeting in Lafiagi.
They also condemned the transfer of the case from Lafiagi to Ilorin, describing the action as irregular, illegal and an attempt to deny its members justice.
Speaking with journalists in Lafiagi, spokesman of the party members, Alhaji Manzuma Tsoeda Mamman, said the group suspects fowl play in the transfer of the case due to the alleged involvement of some suspected individuals close to the Kwara State Government.
It would be recalled that some chieftains and members of the APC at a stakeholders meeting in Lafiagi, were attacked on eighth February, 2021. While some people were injured during the violence, properties were destroyed and members robbed of their belongings. The State Government condemned the act and denied any involvement.
Alhaji Mamman, who said there was no request by the complainants for government intervention, said their counsel was in court in Lafiagi where he was informed that the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), had ordered transfer of the case to Ilorin.
The people, who said that the take- over of the prosecution and transfer of the case file was illegal and politically motivated, added that the case was personally instituted by private individuals who were affected directly by the alleged
criminal attacks.
“On arrival at the Area Court, Lafiagi, on the appointed day, the Registrar of the court informed our complainants and counsel that the court was not sitting as our case file had been transferred since February 17, 2021 to Ilorin on the order of the Kwara State Director of Area Courts.
“When we inquired about the rationale behind the transfer of the case file, the Registrar informed us that at about 8:00 am of the same day, the court received a copy of a letter dated February 17, 2021 written by the Kwara State Ministry of Justice and addressed to the Director of Area Courts on their intention to take over the prosecution of the case for “ease of trial”.
They also said that there is no incumbent Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kwara as the State Executive Council has been dissolved, adding that the constitutional power of the Attorney General of the Federation or of any State to take-over the prosecution of a case can only be exercised by the state Attorney General himself or he may formally delegate such power to officers of the Ministry of Justice under his jurisdiction.
The members, also called for unity especially among critical stakeholders within the party and ensure they guide against infiltration by bad elements to ease their victory come 2023
The meeting also called for the cancellation of the ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise in Kwara State, as it is being done in utter disregard to the guidelines issued by the National Secretariat of the party, such that the exercise did not take place in any polling centre throughout the Edu Local Government Area of the state.
The meeting demanded that a new committee should be set up for the exercise as the incumbent committee was allegedly compromised.
The APC in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara also joined the call by the people of Kwara North Senatorial Zone for their decision to ensure the next Governor of the state come 2023 emerges from Kwara North.
According to the stakeholders, only political parties that zone their governorship candidate to the Kwara North will be supported by the people of the zone in the next general elections.
The party members therefore identified and declared support for the efforts of the Kwara North Leaders Forum and all the other like-minded movements and platforms for a qualified and capable Kwara Northerner to emerge as Kwara State governor in year 2023.
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