•Discordant tunes in Cross River, Ondo

Desmond Mgboh, Kano; Judex Okoro, Calabar; Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has pledged to deliver five million votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential poll.

The governor gave this assurance after the election of Alhaji Sanusi Abbas as the new party chairman in the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC).

Ganduje recalled that the state gave 1.3 million votes to Buhari in the previous poll and stressed that they are poised to repeat the feat; with a greater number of votes this time around.

He noted that the popularity of the party in the state is still intact and that the entire congress was devoid of imposition or any form of manipulation from any quarter.

Abbas, cousin of the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II and former caretaker chairman of the party, polled 3, 080 votes, out of of 3, 472 votes cast by delegates, at the state congress which took place at the Sani Abacha Stadium.
He was declared winner by the Chairman, Kano State Congress Committee, Prince Austin Emeka, alongside Alhaji Shehu

Zagari, his deputy, Ibrahim Samina, secretary, Nabiba Garba Danbaba, the women leader, and Mutari Sani, the new financial secretary.

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Meanwhile, discordant tunes have continued to trail the APC congresses in Cross River as key stakeholders have disagreed over the conduct; at various levels of the party structures.
While the Senator John Owan Enoh-faction cried foul over alleged irregularities and violence and subsequently, boycotted the state congress held under tight security at the Cultural Centre, Calabar.

Regardless, the camp of the Minister of Niger Delta, Pastor Usani Usani, described it as a ‘very peaceful congress,’ which led to the election of the state executive headed by Mr. Etim John. At the venue of the congress, some heavyweights including the South South Zonal Vice Chairman, Mr. Hilliard Etta, Special Adviser to president Buhari on Prosecution,

Obono Obla, Enoh, and Chief Clement Ebri, former governor of the state, boycotted the exercise.
Others absent also included Prof. Eyo Etim Nyong and Hon. Paul Ada, both former commissioners in the NDDC board, vice chairman, Cletus Obun, and former deputy chairman, John Ochalla.

But, on the podium were Usani, senator Florence Ita- Giwa, Chief Sam Bassey, former speakers of Cross River Assembly, Gab Edi and Harry Odey, and former commissioner for Works and Environment during the (Donald) Duke and (Liyel) Imoke administrations, Dr Julius Okputu.

Obun described the congress as a charade.

“There is no way a state congress would have held in the state because the chapter congresses were yet to be concluded in some local governments area including Yakuur and Yala. It is a sham and has nothing to do with the state congress. Anybody supporting is simply orchestrating APC crisis. But, senator Ita-Giwa hailed the congress and called on all APC members in the state to be united and peaceful in their conduct especially as it concerns party affairs.

Hon. Useni Adamu was chairman of the state congress and the secretary Mr. Reginald Uwakwe.
In Ondo State, a group within the APC, Sunshine Solidarity Movement, alleged that the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu were behind the attack against some leaders of the party at the venue of a parallel congress held in Akure, the state capital, last Saturday.

Specifically, the group alleged that Oyegun sponsored the attack to ensure that his tenure is elongated against the constitution of the party. Co-ordinator of the group, Hon. Bola Ilori, alleged before newsmen, at a press conference at Owena, in Ifedore Local Government Area of the state, that Oyegun’s plan was to remain in office after the expiration of his tenure, hence, the attack on some members.