All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has said that there was no parallel local government congress in the state last Saturday.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, on Tuesday, the chairman, caretaker committee of the APC in the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari, said that, “unlike the ward congress which involved all party members, the local congress was not an all-comers’ affair. It was strictly a delegates’ election in which only accredited delegates, including elected statutory delegates, are allowed to take part.”
Alhaji Samari said that for a lawful congress to hold, the constitution of the party requires the provision of delegates’ list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Police prior to commencement of voting at the venue of the local government congress.
He said that the exercise must also be conducted by accredited party officials and to be duly monitored by the INEC to be called a lawful congress.
“This is exactly the procedures we followed as a party. Any group of persons who claimed to conduct anything contrary to this in Kwara State or anywhere else are just a bunch of jokers and mischief-makers who should never be taken seriously.
“We are glad that the national secretariat of our party has also made this very clear, especially in the light of some misleading reports on the congress. The party’s rules and guidelines are very clear.
“The consequences for anyone flouting the guidelines, thereby bringing the party to ridicule for their own selfish agenda, are also very clear and we are glad the national secretariat of the party has also spoken in this regard.
“As a party, we are certainly not going to close our doors to resolving any genuine internal grievances, if any, in strict compliance to the laid-down rules of the party.
“Bonafide members should, therefore, avail themselves of crisis resolution mechanisms and the time-honoured golden rules of the party, and not allow themselves to be used to mislead the public for the selfish interest of anyone,” he said.
The chairman of the party also commended the conduct of INEC, security agencies, the delegates of the party from Abuja, and the media, just as he recognised observers who took part in the local government congress in the state.
Alhaji Samari, who appreciated party members in the state for their honourable and peaceful conduct at the just concluded Local Government Congresses of the party, said the exercise was a huge success.
“Our sincere appreciation also goes to His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for creating an enabling environment for the success of the exercise.
“We also commend His Excellency the Deputy Governor, our National Assembly Members, the Speaker and Members of the 9th Assembly, as well as all party elders and stakeholders.
“We once again call on our members and elders to remain resolute as ever before in our collective conviction that A.P.C. under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is the only political party and platform to be embraced by Kwarans because of its commitment to their welfare.
“We once again urge all party members and indeed the people of Kwara State to continue to give this administration our unalloyed support, loyalty and commitment in order to allow the governor to continue to concentrate on fundamental issues of development and delivery of dividends of democracy for which he and all other elected officers were elected.”
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