The Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has said that efforts are in top gear to resolve the factional crisis in the state branch of the All Progressives Congress as he appealed to the aggrieved members in the other faction to sheath their sword in the interest of the people of the state.
Speaking, on Wednesday, at the swearing in of the state executive of the APC, led by Prince Sunday Fagbemi, held at the Banquet Hall opposite the Government House, Ilorin, Abdulrazaq said that the party members should come together and solidify the gains recorded by the party in the 2019 general election.
He said, “We will continue to work on our aggrieved brothers to see beyond personal ambitions and sheath their swords. They are always welcome to the house we built together. Our differences are not irreconcilable if it is all about the development of Kwara State.”
The governor, who said that the ruling APC is performing well on its campaign promises to the people of the state, stated that, “No true Progressives will leave the party under which Kwara is fast regaining its lost glories, adding that whatever disagreements among brothers can always be resolved if those involved are committed to the growth of the state.
“The ruling All Progressives Congress can only beat its own excellent record in the delivery of its campaign promises in basic education, healthcare, public-funded safety net programmes, gender mainstreaming and youths empowerment.
“From basic education, healthcare delivery, provision of water, infrastructural development and access to the rural areas, prudent management of resources, gender inclusion and youths empowerment, safety net for the poor, and welfare of workers, the Otoge administration can only beat its own excellent record.
“We can do more. What is certain is that Kwara people will never again hand the reins of government to the wandering wolves and their allies. The APC is the trusted vehicle to keep the victory of 2019 and no patriot will leave the party.
“Today represents a new beginning for our party in Kwara State. I congratulate all members of the new State Executive Committee. Let me remind you that this position is a trust. You now carry the mandate of over 400,000 members of the APC in Kwara State to lead us to another victory,” Abdulrazaq said.
He told the new party executive, “You are coming on board at a crucial moment. No genuine Progressive, whatever the disagreements, will sabotage the collective resolve of the people of Kwara State to solidify the victory of 2019 in 2023.
“So, together with the government, you have a duty to mobilise the people of Kwara State on this just struggle to keep the till from those who perpetrated mindless pilfering of public properties and brought the state to its kneel.”
In his address, the state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, while performing the inauguration, appealed to aggrieved members of the party to unite and join hands to build the party and be one another’s brother.
Fagbemi, recalling that all members laboured for the success of the party, said, “We will disagree to agree, fight and mend fences, sometimes spit in our respective faces; then help each other clean it up again. This is the nature of human interactions and we went through all these processes before God finally crowned our efforts through our great party, the All Progressives Congress in 2019.”
He admonished party loyalists to make discipline their watchword, and ensure that they work for unity and victory of the party in the coming general election.
He also enjoined those aspiring for political offices to pursue their ambition with all sense of decorum and sportsmanship, adding that the party will continue to reconcile the aggrieved members and work as a team ahead of 2023 polls.
“In view of these positive developments in the state, all that is left is for us to put our house in order,” he said, after reeling out sector-by-sector achievements of the APC administration in the state.
“Putting our house in order cannot happen without discipline within the party. We will, therefore, begin by ensuring that there is discipline within the party.
“The party shall also embark on genuine reconciliation to win back our aggrieved members into the party. We shall not relent in our effort to unite the party and match collectively to 2023 to deliver victory for the APC.”
Fagbemi noted that the government was doing a lot in preparing the youths for a better future and also giving them responsibilities and empowerment to achieve that goal.
He said Governor AbdulRazaq had achieved much in the areas of school infrastructure, healthcare service, road network and human capital development, commending the transparent manner in which the government conducted the TESCOM/SUBEB teachers’ recruitment exercise in the recent past.
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