A former gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Mallam Saliu Mustapha
has given insight into how the lingering crisis rocking the Kwara state chapter of the APC would be resolved.
Mustapha said although the crisis started too early in the life of the APC administration, but its resolution was not beyond the capacities of stakeholders to pull through.
Saliu Mustapha was the National Deputy Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). He has since declared his interest in the APC National Chairmanship contest coming up later this year.
In an interview granted Thisday newspapers recently in Ilorin, Mustapha revealed that necessary machineries were already being put in motion to begin a holistic reconciliation of the crisis.
He acknowledged that the reconciliation would be a litmus test for his capacity and ability to manage crises in party if elected as its National Chairman.
The Ravens NG reports that there have been wranglings among members of Kwara APC, with some factions for the Governor and others against him.
Speaking on the crisis, Mustapha said, “It is quite unfortunate that Kwara State APC had to find itself in this kind of situation; it is uncalled for; it is unnecessary because it started way too early. But it is understandable that in politics, there would always be a divergence of opinions, views and interests. It is now a task for people like me now to see that we reconcile everybody and find a solution to the crisis that has been rocking the party for the past two years.
“This is my state, and I will take this as a challenge for me to communicate with all stakeholders and bring back everyone on board in oneness. No doubt this is going to be a litmus test for my capacity and ability to manage crises in the party. I believe that in the shortest time possible, I would be able to achieve this by sitting together with the Governor and other stakeholders of the party in the state and find a lasting solution to the crisis. The crisis is definitely not beyond our capacity to resolve and we shall (resolve it) without wasting time, so that we are able to strategise together again and win the next election in the state as overwhelmingly as we did in 2019,” the Ilorin-born politico said.
The chairmanship aspirant also said that the State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has been supporting his bid which is fast becoming a pan-Kwara agenda, adding however that the task that lies ahead of the Governor is to discuss his ambition with his brother-governors, party leadership and the President so as to agree on an equitable and widely acceptable zoning.
“Eveyone that matters in Kwara today from the Governor to the party and the ordinary person on the street are queueing behind this aspiration. Nothing gives me bigger joy than the fact that my state has found me worthy of their support. I am enjoying every bit of it, and I am immensely grateful for it,” he added.
Saliu Mustapha disagreed with the assumption that the conflict within Kwara APC will reduce the strength of his aspiration.
He noted: “Let me tell you for a fact, for any progressive organisation to succeed, there must be a conflict. It helps us reflect on the ideology upon which the party was formed and chart a better way forward. And it’s a phase any serious group would go through. But what is of primordial importance is that we are not beclouded by these hassles when making sacrosanct decisions. Beyond party lines, we also see ourselves as partners in progress. And it is on this premise that many of our brothers in the Kwara APC, irrespective of the crisis, have been contributing towards my emergence.”
