Despite crisis in Kwara APC, defection not an option, says Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Tuesday said he has no intention of defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The minister, while reacting to reports that some of his supporters had dumped the ruling party in Kwara State to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said as a founding member, who worked tirelessly along with others to bring change to his state, he will remain in the party.

Mohammed said that throughout his political career, he has always been loyal to the party he belongs to, adding that this is not about to change now.

The minister noted that although some of those who left have genuine reasons to be aggrieved, defection is not the solution, even as he called on the national leadership of the party to address their grievances.
Mohammed said: “My attention has been drawn to media reports on the alleged defection of some of my supporters in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
“I wish to state categorically that despite the fact that the
supporters are genuinely aggrieved at the way and manner they have been treated by the Kwara State Governor and his supporters, against the backdrop of their immeasurable contributions to the massive victory of our party in the state in 2019, leaving the party is not the solution.
“We have taken the grievances of our supporters to the highest level of our party, and we have cause to believe that everything will be done to address the grievances and unite the party ahead of the 2023 elections.

“On my part, as a founding member of the APC, as someone who has toiled endlessly to build the party and as one who has worked with stakeholders to deliver Kwara State to the APC, leaving the party is
not an option. I am a bonafide member of the APC and I have no intention of leaving the party.
“All through my political career, I have always remained loyal to any party in which I have found myself. That is not about to change now.
“I am therefore appealing to those who may have left to reconsider their stand and return to their natural habitat.
I want to use this opportunity to once again call on the leadership of our party to urgently and decisively address the issues that have forced some members of our party in Kwara to contemplate leaving the party.”