APC Lauds Members, Stakeholders As Congress Holds Across 193 Wards in Kwara

Kwara State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Wednesday held congress across the 193 wards of the state, indicating emergence of the party leadership at that level.

Widely covered by the Screening and Appeals Committee from the national secretariat of the party, the exercise was peaceful and carnival-like across many of the places visited by reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, and a few other areas in the state, including Asa, Ekiti and Baruten. 

Speaking to reporters on the sideline of the event at the party’s secretariat in Ilorin, the state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, said the new leaders emerged through affirmation, adding that the exercise indicates a change of batons and solidifying the foundation of the party structure.

“This is the ward congress of the party which takes place in all 193 wards in the state. So far so good, we have not heard any adverse reports. The idea behind affirmation is to make the exercise less rancorous,” the chairman said.

“It is an affirmative congress because our people are supposed to be carried on from where they are, but it is a constitutional responsibility of the party to go through the process.”

Fagbemi said the exercise signifies progress, unity and togetherness and foretells huge success for the party in the 2027 general election and beyond.

Chairman of the Congress Committee and Deputy Chairman of APC in the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari, said all participants had been duly screened before their participation in the exercise.

“So far so good, the report we are having is very encouraging. You cannot go to any affirmation without being screened. So, all the candidates have been screened by the party and they were found worthy to come back as APC executives at their respective wards. That is why we are having the affirmation taking place in the whole 193 wards in Kwara State,” Samari said.

Secretary of the Screening Committee, Oche Muhammed, said they have properly screened the list of aspirants ahead of the elections into various offices, adding that the exercise has so far been peaceful.

“We were given a list of screened accredited party faithful who vied for various ward offices. Elections have been conducted peacefully in various ward centres. Already, we have received some results while we await other results,” Muhammed said.

Also speaking, Chairman of APC in Ilorin West Local Government, Hon Suleiman Tejidini, said the reports from all the 12 wards in Ilorin West Local Government indicated that the exercise was going on smoothly and rancour-free.

“We reaffirmed all our chairmen and other party executives. All the stakeholders, including the elders, women and youth took part. That is why we can see jubilation everywhere because it was a collective decision of all the relevant stakeholders,” 

Tejidini said.

He appreciated Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, political appointees, members of the national and state assemblies, council chairmen and other stakeholders.

Chairman of the Ilorin West Local Government, Alhaji AbdulRahman Babatunde Ladan, observed that the congress was peaceful and successful across wards in the local government.

“There was no rancour among us as the exercise was only the reaffirmation of existing executives. We use this opportunity to thank our leader, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for creating an enabling environment for the exercise to take place peacefully,” he said.

Reports from Southern and Northern Senatorial Districts also showed that the exercise went smoothly.