*On the Call for Shifting Ground in Reconciliation: Are Yahaya Seriki and Danladi Not Both Known as Governor AbdulRahman’s Boys?* I have read the response from my brother, Ibitoye Ayorinde, to my earlier article on the requirements for true reconciliation within the APC in Kwara State. I note with appreciation his clear agreement that Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq remains the leader of the party in the state—a fact he rightly describes as undisputed among the overwhelming majority of members. His contribution, however, raises important points that deserve careful examination. He argues that reconciliation requires a shifting of ground, with the view that “nobody should take all the positions.” While the desire for inclusivity is understandable, this framing risks misrepresenting the situation on the ground. To many party members in Kwara, it suggests a false equivalence between those who accepted the party’s processes and those who rejected them after the fact. It is important to ...

 *Facing the Reality: The Requirements for True Reconciliation in Kwara* I saw in the news that the APC has commenced a reconciliation process in some states, Kwara included, and I consider this a welcome development. It does, however, place a responsibility on those of us at the very grassroots of the party in Kwara: to ensure that the committee or emissaries coming for the reconciliation exercise understand the task before them in Kwara, because Kwara is a peculiar state. The problem in Kwara is not simply that some people are aggrieved; it stems from two principal realities that some APC stakeholders have consistently failed to confront. The first is that when two or three people compete for a position, only one can ultimately be favoured—and that person may not necessarily be you. The second, as the Yoruba adage puts it, is that a town cannot exist without a head or leader. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is the leader of the APC in Kwara, yet some people behave as though there...

 *TO SPEAK AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF MAL. ABDULRAHMAN ABDULRAZAQ SINCERELY REQUIRES A DEGREE OF SHAMELESSNESS* I came across a press release in which someone stated that he or she left the APC because they were ashamed of defending the party. The question that immediately comes to mind is: which APC government is this person referring to—the state government or the Federal Government? Another question naturally follows: what, exactly, is this person ashamed of in the APC? Whatever the answer may be, everyone is entitled to an opinion. However, that press release reminds me of a basic political reality: it takes a considerable degree of shamelessness for any Kwaran politician who once operated either as an OtoGe or an Otunya supporter to openly speak against the APC government in Kwara today. You may ask why. For an OtoGe supporter who not only witnessed but actively exposed the decay of the previous administration, and who is now witnessing the development strides Kwara has recorde...