One person was reportedly killed in Lagos, while many party faithful stormed the streets of Minna, the Niger State capital over what they referred to as impunity.
Other major stakeholders like the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and some governors shunned the local government congress, which was postponed in Imo, Oyo and Kaduna states.
Dogara faction protest in Bauchi
As envisaged following last week’s controversy that trailed the conduct of the APC ward congresses in Bauchi State, again the faction of the party loyal to Dogara kicked against the conduct of the local government congress of the party alleging that it was characterised by irregularities due to non-compliace with the guidelines for the exercise.
Reports said that supporters of the Yakubu Dogara-led faction of the party staged a protest in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa LGAs calling for the immediate cancellation of the exercise.
Gov Bello boycotts congress
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State boycotted the state local govenrment congress, as instead of being in Kontagora for the exercise, the governor attended the wedding fatiha of one Dr. Aliyu Jibrin Ndajiwo the son of a former Chief Judge of the state, Justice Jibrin Ndajiwo (retd) in Minna.
He had also shunned the APC ward congresses in the state without any official explanation.
Although the local government congress followed a similar pattern with the ward congresses, which was a simple affirmation, there were pockets of protests in a number of local government areas over allegation of arbitrariness.
In Lavun local government, for instance, the exercise was marred by protests, with the delegates calling for voting against the affirmation of the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Ndagba.
The protesters were however overpowered as those for affirmation took the day. But not satisfied with this development, the protesters took their protest to the Government House in Minna but were prevented from gaining entrance.
The leader of the protesters and a former chairman of the local government, Mohammed Ibrahim said: “We are here to show the governor our grievances on the congress. All the 12 wards are represented here today, including the elders and other stakeholders.
“We are not against consensus but if there will be any, the people should be consulted and carried along. However, we weren’t consulted. Democracy is about consultation and rubbing minds but that wasn’t done.”
It was the same situation in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state as some members of the party openly protested against the affirmation arrangement.
In a protest letter against the conduct of the exercise in Shiroro Local Aovernment, the youth leader of the party, Jonah Bulus said the affirmation of the local government congress was illegal and against the constitution of the party.
He regretted that all the delegates, including himself, were disenfranchised and robbed of their constitutional right and therefore called for the total rejection of the out come of the congress.
Imo APC shifts LG congress
The Imo chapter of the APC said that it of shifted Saturday’s local government congress in the state to Monday, citing advice of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Chairman of the party in the state, Mr Hilary Eke, said in a statement on Saturday in Owerri, that the advice followed an attack by hoodlums on the party’s state secretariat on Friday.
Eke also confirmed the indefinite suspension of two members of the party – Mr Charles Amadi and Okenze Obinna.
Meanwhile, the police has called for calm as youths protested the postponement.
The deputy commissioner of police, Mr Ahmed Magaji, urged the protesters to go home and attend to their lawful businesses.
“Imo is a peaceful state. We therefore enjoin you to go about your lawful businesses and not allow anything to tarnish the good image of the state,” he said.
In the meantime, Governor Rochas Okorocha lauded the APC National Working Committee for postponing the local government congress.
Okorocha said the decision had saved what would have resulted in a bloodshed as thugs continued to attack both party members and the office over the outcome of the last ward congress.
Delegates re-elect party executives in Katsina
The APC delegates in Daura Local Government Area, Katsina State, on Saturday re-elected all the 26 officials of the local government by consensus.
Malam Usman Ado, an official of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), who supervised the congress, described the elections as peaceful, credible and orderly.
Similarly, Alhaji Ahmed El-Murzouq, who organised the congress, said that the process was in line with the party’s constitution.
He called on the party officials to discharge their duties with loyalty, determination and with fear of God.
In a related development, Malam Nura Koza as chairman and other 26 party executives were reaffirmed in Maiadua Local Government Area.
Similarly, Alhaji Sabiu Musa was reaffirmed as the party’s chairman in Zango Local Government Area along with his executive members.
In Baure Local Government Area, Malam Abashe Mohammed –Chairman — and 26 other party officials were reaffirmed through consensus.
The elections were conducted peacefully and under the watch of security personnel that included police and staff of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Parallel, peaceful congresses in Kogi
The APC on Saturday held parallel local government congress across Kogi State.
The exercises, which were peaceful in the 21 local government areas of the state, however, produced parallel executives in many of the local governments.
One of the factions is headed by the embattled chairman, Haddy Ametuo and backed by the Audu/Faleke camp, while the other is led by the acting chairman, Ahovi Ibrahim, and backed by the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
Sunday Tribune observed during the congress in Okene, Kabba/Bunu, Lokoja and Ijumu local government areas that delegates converged on the venues despite the initial disruption by rains.
However, the Ametuo group held its congress for Lokoja local government at St Luke’s Primary School, Adankolo, while the loyalists of the state governor held their own at the local government hall along Lugard Road.
Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole, a former senator from Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi, the acting chairman of the party and the special adviser to the governor on local government and chieftaincy affairs, Abubakar Ohere, however, described the congress as a success.
Kolawole, who spoke at Solid Rock Hotel, Kabba, said the congress in the local government was a family affair that went rancour free.
Also speaking, Ohere said the critical stakeholders of the party had met and would elect people to lead the party for another four years.
Adeyemi, in his reaction, however, noted that the conduct of the congress showed that the APC remained the party to beat in Kogi.
Parallel Congresses in Ondo too
There were also parallel congresses in Ondo State as factions within the party presented separate lists of winners.
The parallel congresses were sequel to the results of the ward congress, which was characterised by the violence.
However, state chairman of the party, Honourable Ade Adetimehin, said that the congress went “smoothly.”
Adetimehin said there was no parallel congress in the areas monitored by him and the leadership of the party, saying the party remained united in the state.
According to Adetimehin, the party remained one in the state adding: “there is only one centre in Akure South, and there are 27 elected delegates from the ward including five delegates from local government to elect state executives.”
Congress a success in A’Ibom
Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang; former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator John Udoedehe and other stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, declared the local government congress in the state “peaceful and successful.”
According to Enang, the orderly conduct of the exercise is a prelude to the party’s plans towards building a united force to take over the Akwa Ibom Government House in 2019.
Enang, who spoke at the party secretariat in Uyo, the State capital after emerging from a consultative meeting with other leaders, including a former Minister of Petroleum, Don Etiebet, in his (Enang’s) residence, said, “the success followed the recent reconciliation with other aggrieved members of the party.”
Leaders who steal public funds will vomit them —Gov Lalong
Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has said that past leaders who stole public funds would vomit the loot no matter their position in the society.
The governor who stated this while addressing APC members in Shendam Local Government Council during the party’s local government congress, said the stolen funds were meant for the public good.
He commended people of the state for the peaceful conduct of the party congress adding that: “There was consensus at the ward level and there is consensus, at the local government level today.Where you see consensus it means peace has returned to the state because if there is no peace there will be no consensus.”
Ogun APC adopts harmonisation formula
The APC in Ogun State was a huge success as the party elected local government officers based on a harmonisation formula.
Sunday Tribune observed that the loyalists of a former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba were equally elected into various offices across the 20 local government areas.
However, there was a report of confusion in Yewa South local government as hoodlums disrupted the exercise.
The harmonisation formula also favoured defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who recently joined the ruling party.
Speaking with journalists, the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who voted at Obafemi – Owode Local Government, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the congress.
He later monitored the exercise in Sagamu, Ijebu – Ode, Odogbolu and other parts of the state.
The chairman of Congress Committee Honourable Bashir Sheriff, described the election as “beauty of democracy in action.”
One die, 5 injured in Lagos
The APC local government congress in Lagos State turned bloody in Agege area of the state, as one party member died with five others said to be in critical condition, following the crisis that erupted at the venue of the exercise allegedly between loyalists of Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Mudashiru Obasa and a former council chairman, Honourable Jubril Abdulkarim.
The deceased’s name was given as Olanase Nurudeen.
“One Kadiri Garba who had a gunshot injury on his leg had since been treated and discharged,” an eyewitness claimed.
Sunday Tribune gathered that the congress equally had some challenges in Epe, Oriade, Apapa-Iganmu, Ojodu, Kosofe, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu, among others, leading to an inconclusive exercise in those areas. It was learnt that the Fuad Oki- led group held a parallel congress in 20 local government areas of the state as against the 57 Local Council Development Areas slated by the Otunba Henry Ajomale-led APC.
The victim, who died was said to have been shot at by the police, though it was gathered that hoodlums took advantage of the situation as they reportedly stormed the centre with guns shooting indiscriminately.
In Ariade area of the state, where a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro was present, the congress was disrupted and was yet to take off ground as of 4.00p.m., as party leaders and members were said to be searching for a consensus chairmanship candidate, following alleged rejection of two aspirants that were initially in the race.
Earlier in Epe, the exercise was marred by controversies over an alleged fake delegate list.
The accreditation exercise that took place at Epe Girls Secondary School, Recreation Centre, and was billed for 9am couldn’t start until well after 11 o’clock, with security agents having a lot of problems controlling the crowd.
An APC leader in Epe, Chief Lanre Rasaq (aka KLM, claimed that the list of delegates that was used before his arrival was forged.
The camp of APC National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire, held a separate congress in Mushin Local Government Area of the state.
Nwobodo, Eneukwu hail congress
Former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo has lauded the peaceful conduct of Enugu State local government congress of the APC.
Nwobodo told newsmen after the congress of Enugu South Local Government Area held at Amechi Primary School, Awkunanw that the party faithful displayed faith and commitment, not minding the heavy rain in most parts of the state.
The congress produced Chief Hycienth Ngwu; Chief Ozo Ogbodo and Mrs Uche Ani as national delegates of the party in Enugu South Local Government Area after voting.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Godfrey Onyema and his few supporters simultaneously held a parallel congress amidst tight security outside his party’s office in Udi with no INEC official in attendance.
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