DISCORDANT tunes continued unabated on Sunday among chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across some states over the conduct of the ward congress of the ruling party. The exercise triggered a leadership crisis in the Bauchi State chapter of party, on Saturday, with some of the stakeholders expressing disaffection with the conduct of the exercise.
The party had adopted a consensus method to elect the leadership of the party at the 215 wards of the state, with some APC members objecting to the method. Speaking with newsmen shortly before the commencement of the congress, the Caretaker Chairman of APC in the state, Alhaji Uba Ahmed Nana said the decision to use consensus was reached during a stakeholders’ meeting.
He, however, revealed that there were some dissenting voices among the stakeholders, who insisted on election at all levels of the party. He added that there was a disagreement on the issue among stakeholders in three LGAs, adding that the leadership of the party had resolved that until the warring parties agreed to unite and adopt a single leadership, the party would accept parallel leadership of the different groups in the affected LGAs.
Killing of APC member unconnected with congress —Ekiti LG chair
The chairperson of Ado Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Mrs Motunde Fajuyi, has clarified that the Saturday’s killing of a member of the APC, had nothing to do with the ward congress of the party.
A member of the party simply identified as Jide was killed after he beaten with a substance suspected to be a charm after the congress was concluded in Ado ward 10 centre located inside the popular Fajuyi pavilion in the state capital. The council boss, in a statement made available to Nigerian Tribune, on Sunday, explained that the fracas that broke out had nothing to do with the outcome of the congress, which she said was successful and peaceful.
Fajuyi said: “ I want to state categorically that the misunderstanding that led to the clash between the deceased and his attackers had nothing to do with the Congress of the party.
“The Congress had been concluded and members were rejoicing when the said attackers came on a bike to settle personal matter with one of those at the venue, which later led to a fight.
“Members of the party at the venue tried to resolve the crises between the aggrieved parties before the unfortunate incident happened.”
While commiserating with the family of the deceased APC member and praying for the fortitude to bear the loss, the chairperson urged the police to carry out proper investigation that would ensure speedy prosecution of the perpetrators. Meanwhile, the state’s police command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the police were working tirelessly with party leaders to apprehend the suspects.
No report of parallel congress in Oyo —Ward congress chairman
Chairman of the APC Ward Congress Committee for Oyo State, Alhaji Gambo Lawan, said the committee had not got any official report of parallel congresses held anywhere in the state. Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune, Lawan said the three subcommittees he set up spread across the three senatorial districts of the state were still on the field collating the results of the congresses and had so far not informed him of parallel congress, as reported in OkeOgun and Ogbomoso zones of the state. He, however, said if there was evidence of parallel congress, the committee will confirm and take necessary action in line with its mandate from the national leadership of the party.
Lawan said: “I have set up three committees comprising members of my committee. They have started collecting reports since yesterday.
“I have not gotten any official report that there is parallel congress, so far. If I get anything officially that it has happened, we will crosscheck and if there is any evidence of that, we will take necessary action that the party directed us to do.
“But, in the meantime, I have not gotten reports from anywhere. My committee is still on the field, across the three senatorial districts and they are still working. Meanwhile, it was gathered that the congresses were largely smooth in Ibadan, Ibarapa and Oyo zones, while there were reports of parallel congresses in some wards in Oke-Ogun and Ogbomoso zones of the state. Some stakeholders who spoke with Nigerian Tribune reported that parallel congresses were also held in some parts of Oke-Ogun zone, with various gladiators holding their various grounds. It was a show of supremacy in Ogbomoso zone of the state with parallel congresses held by loyalists of former governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, on the one hand, and those of Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare, on the other hand.
While the likes of Senator Fatai Buhari and Chief Akin Oke were said to be on the Alao Akala side, it was gathered those on the Dare side reportedly held the parallel congress against the backdrop of not being given due recognition in determining the ward executives.
One of those on the Dare side, Mr Bello Abass, said they were invited to a meeting by the Alao Akala side to arrive at a common list of EXCOs but that was not harmonised before Saturday’s congress. Those on the Dare side however said there were feelers that they would be invited for another stakeholders’ meeting this week to resolve the issues.
When Nigerian Tribune asked the congress committee chair on possibility of convening another stakeholders’ meeting to resolve the issues, Lawan said he had last Friday met with them and they collectively selected the three ward committee members that conducted the congresses in each of the 351 wards across the state.
Ekiti APC stakeholders demand fresh exercise
Some stakeholders in the Ekiti State chapter of the APC rejected the ward congress in the state, calling on the National Caretaker committee of the party to order for a fresh exercise in the interest of unity in the state chapter of the party.
The stakeholders, under the auspices of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA), described Saturday’s exercise as charade that was manipulated by the group loyal to the governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the national chairman of SWAGA, Senator Dayo Adeyeye lamented the violence which characterised the intra-party ex- ercise, which, he said, was witnessed in Ijero, Ado and Oye local government areas of the state. Adeyeye explained that the congress was not monitored by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents, describing it “as a charade that cannot stand the test of time.”
Kogi gov says exercise transparent, democratic
Governor Yahaya Bello has commended APC members across the 239 wards of Kogi State for the peaceful and orderly conducted of the APC ward congress in the state, describing the exercise as transparent, democratic and wholly the expression of the party faithful. He said the APC membership in the state had increased significantly after the 2019 governorship election, adding that the people believed in the APC-led administration in the state.
No parallel congresses in Kwara —APC chairman
The APC in Kwara State on Saturday explained that it ad- opted a consensus arrangement in picking its leaders at the ward congresses in the 193 wards across the state. The exercise which attracted large turnout of party faithful in many centres visited saw APC members participating in the exercise under a peaceful atmosphere. However, contrary to some reports in certain quarters, the APC chairman in the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari, said that there were no parallel congresses in the state.
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