Has BOB, Lai Been Taking Kwarans For A Ride? - Yusuf Moshood

By Yusuf Moshood

A good 24hrs after Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq made a statement on the party crisis, no one has come out to counter his claims logically and I am worried. All before now, the tales we were regaled with were that the man is a betrayal and selfish leader fighting his partymen for no reason.

All that may be changing in the coming days after all the claims over the weekend after a book launch that some party leaders didn't only try to change his name as a gubernatorial candidate, they formed a party structure without his knowledge and input, and also cornered all the campaign funds and logistics. These are strong reasons for misunderstanding in party politics.

 Even if I feel that they should have been buried, I'd not deny that I had always wanted to hear the governor speak himself. For well over two years, he has been hounded on the radio and social media by his party in a gruelling manner. You'd think he was foolish and strange at the same time. How could you be doing this to your people? How could you feign ignorance of their agitations?

But we were the one taken for a ride. He must have been bidding his time. And what a time to fire the first salvo. What this fatal blow has since caused is confusion in his opponent camp. I'd not have thought that the embattled former chairman of the party, Hon Bolarinwa would unwittingly indict his godfather Alhaji Lai Mohammed of complicity of fraud and embezzlement while trying to absolve himself. 

In his statement, I expected BOB to do more than just throwing his godfather under the bus. He could have denied that no structure was formed behind the candidate's strong input. He only said they allowed him to bring one man which was Kale Belgore as a member. Further digging in, BOB claimed all the allegations made by the Governor should be discarded because they have just proven that he didn't fund the campaign. How are these related? I never saw where he claimed to do so in the press statement. But the questions remain that; if he didn't fund the campaign, who funded it? Where did he/she get the money? And how did they spend it?! Kwarans deserve to know now. 

In what is quite very shameful, AbdulRazaq claimed he never received a kobo from the campaign funds received in his name and that of the party for the elections. 24 hours after, no one has come out to say he did. Is he being truthful after all? 

Yes, I am aware that Hon Bolarinwa has equally alleged him of collecting 1bn differently from the National headquarters. He has not denied doing so too. The party state secretary Mustapha Isowo has however validated that claim saying that it was not given to the gubernatorial candidate in secret. They were in the know as a party (and cabals even wanted to claim it again) and that candidates across APC states in Nigeria received the same thing. If this is a lie, the onus is on the BOB camp to come to disprove it to the public. 

And now, how do we invalidate the claims that he was left alone to run his campaign by himself because he'd not agree to be pocketed by the cabals? Grossly wicked if it true. Or how do you call abandoning a friend in the middle of a fight because he didn't do your bidding? If I do not know many things, I remember the one time the APC campaign was to take off in Kwara North that it was called off. I remember that PDP people even mocked them with it at the time. I can't forget that candidate AA ran a small campaign compared to that of Atunwa's PDP which was often attended by party bigwigs. The Governor has passed the jury. What BOB and his people should send out are not rhetorics but solid evidence such as pictures and videos taken with him at the campaign rallies before President Buhari came to Kwara. 

I have seen a few people flayed the Governor for digging into the past. And I'd agree with them if I wasn't aware of the damage such could further cause him. It was such reticence and maturity they preach that made the late Abba Kyari a victim of herds media narrative until his death. It is the same quietness that has since made him look bad in the eyes of a section of members of the public. Should the Governor have died before we hear his side of the story?

If he had not talked, no one would have known that he is not a betrayal of anyone's interest or agreement. No one would have known that some cabals monetised the people's struggle and cashed out big. Not many would have known that the intra-party fight in APC is not about development but selfish personal battles. Not many would see that the staunch opposition to his government is wrapped in deceit and a veiled pang of jealousy. 

Governor AbdulRazaq has thrown a big blow that could make seven die. In one fell swoop, he has told the untold story behind the battle royale within the party unchallenged. What that means is that the cabals now have an uphill battle before them. People are now aware that they are not doing this for them but their pocket, and by Allah, we won't be fooled by anyone again. We will choose between a stubborn Governor and the greedy cabals in due time.

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