You Didn’t Fund Our Elections, Kwara Lawmakers Tell Information Minister

The crisis that hit the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) worsened yesterday with 21 members of the state House of Assembly accusing the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed of lying about funding their elections.

The 21 lawmakers declared that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq funded their 2019 elections and not the minister.

Similarly a serving member of House of Representatives, representing Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin, Oke-ero Federal Constituency of the state, Hon. AbdulRaheem Tunji Olawuyi Ajuloopin also denied embezzling N70 million as alleged by the minister, disclosing that, he gave N32.5million to the information minister from the campaign funding.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon.Yakubu DanladiSalihu, told journalists in Ilorin yesterday that claim by the minister that he funded elections of members of the 9th Assembly was baseless and unfounded.

The lawmakers said the only individual who could claim to have offered them massive support during the election was Governor

AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who was then the APC governorship candidate.

The lawmakers were reacting to the minister’s sundry allegations against them,Governor Abdulrazaq and the member of the House of Representatives, Olawuyi.

The lawmakers also called on national secretariat of the party to sanction the minister over his comments on the forthcoming APC congresses in the state.

Mohammed had on Saturday declared that the congresses would not hold in the state until all members of the party were duly registered.

But the lawmakers said Mohammed lacked the authority to speak on behalf of the party.

According to the speaker, “his utterances amount to impersonation. He is not the spokesperson of the

APC. He should focus his attention on speaking for the federal Government.

“Therefore, congresses will commence from July 24, from the Ward level,”the speaker said.

On his part, Hon. Olawuyi described the allegation of diversion of N70 million November 2018 Irepidun/ Ekiti/Oko-Ero/Isin Federal constituency election campaign fund as baseless, frivolous and wild.