Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Kaduna Restoration Group (KRG) of the APC party has split into two factions. The factions, led by Awwal Aliyu Fatoki as Chairman, and Mohammed Lawak Shehu (‘Molash’) as Secretary, said the decision to leave the Alhaji Tijjani Ramalan led KRG was informed by the need to restore the group to its founding ideals.
Addressing journalists on Friday, the newly elected chairman said the new leadership intends to use politics as a tool for development of Kaduna State.
He said that arrangements have been concluded to initiate a process of reconciliation between members of the group and APC led government in the northern state.
Fatoki, who pointed out that inciting disunity in Kaduna APC must stop, assursed that “we shall, Insha Allah, henceforth work towards the success of our party, the APC, in the forthcoming general elections.”
Speaking on why the disenchanted members left the Tijjani Ramalan led KRG, the chairman said, “Lots of water has passed under the bridge in the last one year. The big questions remain: What is the ultimate goal of the Kaduna Restoration Group? What is the effect of the Kaduna Restoration Group’s activities on our great party, the APC?
“In our attempt to answer these questions, we came to the conclusion that the behaviour and utterances of the senior politicians that dragged us into the group show that their goals are different from the ideals that were advertised to us.
“They were using the group to pursue personal agendas. They were using it for incitement and deliberate attempts to cause disunity and destabilise the state.
Fatoki, in an extensive commentary on the situation, said:
“You may wish to recall that the APC led government came into power as a result of the massive rejection of the the then ruling party at the polls.
“Nigerians saw the APC as an alternative, viable platform to the 16 years of maladministration and philandering of the country’s resources that characterised the PDP led government.
“Regrettably, few years into the government of Change, intra party squabbles led to the formation of splinter group such as the Kaduna Restoration Group, which we joined in our belief that it was meant to help uphold the ideals and programmes of the APC…
He then went on to conclude that:
“We have come to the sad realisation that we were being misled into undermining our party and the government that it produced.
“We regret that, as the government was working to implement the APC manifesto, some of our leaders failed to give it necessary support.”