*Akpabio’s loyalists accuse Akpanudoedehe of manipulation
*Keyamo, Ogboru, Ojougboh’s supporters shun congress in Delta
*Aregbesola’s group kicks against adoption of consensus
*Okorocha, Ararume, Abe’s factions boycott exercise in Imo, Rivers
Segun James in Lagos, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja, Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu, Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano, Okon Bassey in Uyo, Amby Uneze in Owerri, Hammed Shittu in Ilorin, Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
The ward congresses held yesterday by the All Progressives Congress (APC) were characterised by protests, boycotts and the formation of parallel executives in some states, THISDAY investigation has revealed.
Some of the affected states include: Kwara, Ekiti, Kano, Lagos, Imo, Oyo, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta, and Enugu.
However, states such as Edo, Katsina, Jigawa, Niger, Ogun, and others elected their ward leaders through a consensus arrangement as recommended by the national secretariat of the party.
THISDAY gathered that the party’s faction loyal to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, held a parallel congress in Kwara State.
A splinter group within the Lagos APC, Lagos4Lagos, also claimed that it held a parallel congress but the chairman of the party in the state has debunked the claim.
Loyalists of Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, also held parallel congresses across some wards in the state.
Abiodun has however said there was no parallel congress in the state.
In Oyo State, party members loyal to the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, and those loyal to former governor, Mr. Adebayo Alao-Akala held different ward congresses in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area.
One person was killed in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, during the ward congress held across the 177 wards in the state.
The exercise was characterised by a supremacy tussle between the supporters of the National Leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, and the loyalists of Governor Kayode Fayemi.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN); Executive Director in charge of Projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, and former governorship candidates of the party, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and Chief Great Ogboru, also distanced themselves from the exercise in Delta State with thousands of their supporters on account of the alleged hijack of the congress materials by the loyalists of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
APC members backed by Senators Rochas Okorocha and Ifeanyi Ararume, also shunned the exercise in Imo State, just as the loyalists of Senator Magnus Abe boycotted the congress in Rivers State for the supporters of the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.
In Akwa Ibom State, the supporters of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, accused the Secretary of the National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the APC, Senator John Akpanudoedehe of manipulating the exercise.
APC members loyal to the Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, also kicked against the adoption of consensus arrangement by the loyalists of Governor Gboyega Oyetola in Osun State.
However, despite the protests, the APC last night hailed the conduct of the congresses across the states, saying that its National caretaker chairman and Yobe State Governor, Mr. Mai Mala Buni, was not distracted.
Supporters of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio, organised a protest at the party’s secretariat along Ikot Ekpene Road, Uyo, the state capital.
The bonfire was set outside the party office, causing heavy gridlock along the major access road outside the Uyo metropolis.
The protesters demanded the cancellation of the ward congress, alleging that Akpanudoedehe “fraudulently manipulated the lists to include only his loyalists as candidates for the congresses”.
Some of the placards displayed during the protest read: “Akpanudoedehe cannot decide for us in Akwa Ibom”; “The list cannot stand;” “We reject this shambolic manipulation by one man”; This congress cannot hold” and “Enough of one-man dictatorship in Akwa Ibom APC.”
On Friday, stakeholders under the aegis of APC Elders Forum led by the Board of Trustees (BoT) member, Group Captain Sam Ewang (rtd), had passed a vote of no confidence on the state caretaker Chairman, Dr. Ita Udosen, alleging that he was playing the card of Akpanudoedehe by manipulating the exercise and doctoring the candidates’ list in his favour.
The crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the ruling APC deepened yesterday as the two leading factions in the party embarked on separate congresses to elect their ward executives at the 193 wards in the state.
A group loyal to the state Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, under the platform of AA Group adopted a consensus arrangement for the emergence of their executives at the ward congresses.
But a group loyal to the Information Minister, Mohammed, under the platform of the Loyal Group used direct system for the emergence of their ward executives in the state.
Members of the APC in Osun State also yesterday adopted consensus in the election of their leaders across the 332 wards in the state amidst allegations of exclusion by loyalists of Minister of Interior, Aregbesola.
A loyalist of the minister and former Osun State Assembly Speaker, Hon. Najeem Salam, who was at Ward 4, Ejigbo, alleged that the executives were imposed, and not elected.
But the Chairman of the National Congress Committee, Mr. Gbenga Elegbeleye, said the exercise was successful.
Governor Gboyega Oyetola also said the congresses across the state were very peaceful.
“You can see that members of the party are here, you know, in their large number to endorse the congress done in line with the directive of the national secretariat. It is free. Everybody has been allowed to express their wish, and you have seen it.”
In Imo State, former Governor Rochas Okorocha and his supporters did not participate in the ward congresses.
In the same vein, another chieftain of the party, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, and his loyalists did not also participate in the congresses.
However, the supporters of the state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, held the ward congress in all the 27 local government areas of the state in a peaceful atmosphere.
In his reaction, the factional chairman of the party loyal to the Okorocha, Mr. Daniel Nwafor, said they boycotted the congress concerning the court order.
An Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Valentine Oriji, had on Friday in a suit filed by Mr. Okey Anyikwa, the APC chairman in Ideato South Local Government Area, suspended the congress in the state.
Meanwhile, one person was reportedly killed in Ado Ekiti during the exercise.
The man, simply identified as Jide, was said to have been hit with a charm when two rival groups clashed at Ward 10 in Ado Ekiti.
Another account said he was stabbed to death by thugs, who invaded the ward after the result of the exercise was not in their favour.
Also in Ado Ekiti Ward 08, where the Deputy Governor, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, hailed from, the exercise was marred with violence as anti- and pro- Fayemi groups engaged in a fight.
In Wards 04 and 08, as well as some wards in Ikere Ekiti, Fayemi’s loyalists and the members of the Tinubu group named South-west Agenda for 2023 (SWAGA) also engaged in a fierce battle.
Confirming the killing, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Police Command, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the incident occurred at the Fajuyi area, when some people were celebrating their victory in the congress.
“A few hours ago, we got a distress call that someone was beaten with substance suspected to be charm during APC congress.
“The police rushed to the area and by the time we got there, the person had been moved to the hospital.
“We learnt that he was beaten with charm and later died in the hospital,” he said.
Abutu stated that his men and officers had begun an investigation into the matter, while clarifying that no arrest had been made as at press time.
It was gathered that the resistance put up by members of SWAGA, who turned up in large numbers, actually sparked up the crisis as Fayemi’s supporters were also resolute to assert their supremacy.
In Lagos State, the leader of a group within the APC, Lagos4Lagos, Mr. Olajide Adediran, told THISDAY that his faction held a parallel congress.
“Yes, all our members filed out today across all the 245 wards to affirm all members of our group, who paid for nomination forms, but were not given the forms because the delegation from the National secretariat saddled with the responsibility of selling forms alleged that the governor of Lagos State hijacked the forms from them. We will then send our exco list alongside evidence of payment to Abuja. We will all take it up from there,” he said.
But amidst the reports that parallel ward congresses were conducted in the state, the party’s Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, has debunked the report even as he maintained that members of the party adopted a consensus arrangement to elect the 37 executive members in each of the 245 wards across the 20 local governments and 37 development councils in the state.
“Parallel – I don’t know that one. I want people to stop emphasising things that will create problems in our fold. Make us cohesive, not emphasising a particular candidate or person trying to do something,” he added.
The party, in a press statement signed by the state’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Seye Oladejo, said the ward congress was a success in the state.
In Kano State, the Chairman of Buhari Support Organisation (BSO), Mr. Shehu Dalhatu also kicked against the consensus arrangement adopted by the loyalists of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
Dalhatu argued that the party members should be allowed to exercise their franchise.
“We are here to exercise our franchise. We came to witness justice and seek justice.
“The statement by Governor Ganduje on the resolution to adopt consensus candidates is unfortunate. That is premeditating the election,” he added.
However, Ganduje has allayed the fear that the nationwide ward congresses would be voided following the recent judgment of the Supreme Court.
Ganduje spoke to reporters at his ward at Ganduje town in Dawakin Tofa LGA, shortly after the congress held across the 484 wards in the state.
While commenting on those having reservations on the Ward Congress, Ganduje stated that it was natural that people in any democratic contest would not be happy with anything that runs contrary to their interest.
The Enugu APC ward congress was also characterised by the allegation of missing result sheets across the 260 wards in the state.
However, the congress took place peacefully despite a suit instituted by aggrieved members seeking to stop the exercise in the state.
Four aggrieved members of the party had on Friday dragged some officials to the Enugu High Court, alleging that the exercise had already been compromised and urged the court to stop it.
However, the party yesterday observed the congress with the adoption of consensus option in several wards and voting by delegates where the consensus option failed.
But some party leaders alleged that the officials deployed to the 260 wards for the exercise did not go to the congress venues with the result sheets.
They claimed the result sheets were not handed over to them.
When contacted, the chairman of the party in the state, Dr. Ben Nwoye, confirmed he received the reports about the missing result sheets.
“The fact is that in all the 260 wards, I have received calls that there were no results sheets. It was INEC officials that first alerted me about it,” Nwoye said.
He, however, said the exercise was peaceful and there was no parallel congress across the state.
APC Hails Congresses, Says Buni Not Distracted
Meanwhile, the National Secretary of the party, Akpan-udoedehe, has said the Chairman of the Committee and the Governor of Yobe State, Buni was never distracted, but kept faith with the party’s Ward Congresses’ date held yesterday.
He rated the conduct of the ward congresses across the country high despite reports of pockets of crisis in some states.
Akpan-udoedehe, while reacting to the conduct of the exercise in a telephone interview attributed the success of the exercise to the support of President Muhammadu Buhari and the doggedness of Buni.
He stated: “I want to thank Mr. President and our National Chairman (Buni). They did not succumb to all the plots to make us look back at the caretaker committee level. The chairman is not moved by all the distractions. He kept faith with the date. He has been focused and keeping to the agenda of the party.”
