By Ahmed ‘Lateef
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Opin Ward, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State has announced the indefinite suspension of Mr Wale Awelewa as the local government Chairman of the party.
Rising from the ward meeting held at Epe-Opin yesterday, the party passed a vote of no confidence on Awelewa on allegations of misappropriation and diversion of funds belonging to the ward into his private pocket, attempt to frustrate ward meeting, deliberate attempt to disobey party directive on zoning and rotation of elective positions and incompetence among others.
No fewer than 20 out of 27 members of the ward executive of the party and some stakeholders appended their signatures in a statement issued for the suspension of the Ekiti local government APC Chairman.
They warned that if the gross ineptitude, partiality and utmost incompetence that Awelewa had exhibited was not checked and stopped, could adversely affect the chance of APC in the forthcoming general elections.
The APC ward executive also noted that the act of misconduct of the local government party Chairman was capable of bringing into disrepute the selfless sacrifice of leaders of the party including Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, state leadership of the party and other stakeholders.
They alleged that Awelewa had been compromised with his disposition to a particular aspirant over and above others ahead of the primary election of the party instead of him to remain neutral and impartial as expected of a party leader.
The APC in Opin Ward specifically alleged that the embattled local government party Chairman stood against the directive of the state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, at the meeting held in Opin Ward with his endorsement of the incumbent member representing Ekiti Constituency in the state House of Assembly, Mr Ganiyu Abolarin Gabriel, to seek re-election.
They said the endorsement of the lawmaker by Awelewa and some of his loyal stakeholders was at variance with the principle of zoning and rotation of elective positions aimed at fostering equity, fairness and justice in Ekiti Local Government Area.
“We have observed with utmost dismay how the APC Chairman of Ekiti Local Government Area Kwara State, Hon. Wale Awelewa, has been piloting the affairs of the party with gross ineptitude, partiality and utmost incompetence, which if not checked and immediately stopped, would ultimately and indeed adversely affect the chance of APC at the forthcoming general elections.
“It would bring to disrepute the selfless effort/sacrifice of our eminent party leaders from the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, APC State Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi and other leaders in the state”, the Opin Ward APC partly said in the statement.