By Lateef Dada (Osogbo), Judex Okoro (Calabar), Agaju Madugba (Katsina), Tony Osauzo (Benin), Priscilla Ediare (Ado-Ekiti), Noah Ebije (Kaduna), Layi Olanrewaju (Ilorin), Rose Ejembi (Makurdi), Geoffrey Anyanwu and Jude Chinedu (Enugu), Lukman Olabiyi (Lagos), Femi Folaranmi (Yenagoa), Stanley Uzoaru (Owerri)
The state congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were conducted in peaceful manner in most parts of the country, affirming the desire of the national body to have a smooth electoral process leading up to the national convention. However, Enugu State factions of the party held parallel congresses as the Benue State chapter witnessed protest by the Audu Ogbeh group.
Delegates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State returned Prince Gboyega Famodun as the chairman of the party in the state for another term of four years.
Mr Tajudeen Lawal, emerged as the party’s deputy chairman while Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde returned as the leader of the Women Wing.
Also, 35-year-old Akinwemimo Adegoke emerged as the Youth Leader of the party just as Mr Alao Kamar Olabisi was elected as the secretary.
Commenting on the outcome of the party’s state congress election, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola charged the new executives to initiate a reconciliatory process that will guarantee the unity and strength, which the party is known for.
Announcing the results of the congress, the Chairman of the National Committee on the Osun State Congress, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, said the congress was done in line with the principles and guidelines of the party.
In Cross River State, Director-General of the Due Process Agency, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, emerged as the chairman of the APC in the state.
Eba, a dependable ally of Governor Ben Ayade, emerged following a consensus agreement by leaders of the party in the state and will lead a 36-man new executive. He was also one of the chairmanship candidates in the cancelled 2020 PDP state congress. He defected with Ayade to APC in May 2021.
By similar consensus arrangement in Katsina State, Sani Ali Ahmed from the Daura zone was presented to the congress for affirmation while Shittu S. Shittu from Katsina Central zone emerged the consensus party secretary.
This followed the withdrawal of two chairmanship candidates from the race yesterday, hours before commencement of the process.
According to Chairman of the Congress Committee, Alhaji Muntari Lawal, a chairmanship candidate, Gidado Sabo Kasa, and candidate for the position of Organizing Secretary, Yahaya Nuhu Musa, willingly withdrew their intention to contest.
Lawal who addressed a press conference said: “No one pointed a gun at them to withdraw, they dialogued amongst themselves and agreed to step down.
“All through the ward and local government congresses, we have been implementing the consensus arrangement and now we shall proceed to conclude the process. Katsina has never witnessed rancorous or parallel congresses and has remained outstanding and peaceful.”
The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, averted anticipated parallel state congresses following protracted meetings with aggrieved members, which finally led to a consensus arrangement that returned majority members of the old party executives to their positions.
In his address to party delegates, Chairman of the Congress Committee for Edo State, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Ramalan, said their mandate was to conduct a free and fair state congress to elect executives to run the party for the next four years and urged them to put the party first, stressing that the primary task is to return the party to power in Edo State.
In Ekiti, the state Chairman, Paul Omotosho and Deputy Chairman, Hon. Sola Elesin, were re-elected just as 34 other executives emerged through consensus process.
This was as the state Governor Kayode Fayemi wished his successor should come from the party in the 2022 governorship election, saying the reality of same would be the greatest collective achievement of the party members.
Though the congress held at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado Ekiti, was peaceful and orderly, but members of the pro-Tinubu Loyalists called Southwest Agenda (SWAGA) for 2023 boycotted the process.
As in other parts of the country, the APC state congress in Kaduna State was conducted in line with consensus arrangement. The senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Uba Sani commended the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai over consensus model adopted in the state, which led to the successful completion of ward, local government and state congresses in the state.
Prince Sunday Fagbemi emerged the new chairman of Kwara APC, pledging that his team “would lead by example and work with everyone to strengthen the party.”
Fagbemi, a long-standing ally of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq with track record of being a leader in the Kwara progressive fold, was announced as the consensus leader amid cheers and backslapping from hundreds of delegates gathered at the peaceful congress.
Some Leaders of the All Progressives Congress APC from Benue South Senatorial District popularly known as Zone ‘C’ yesterday rejected what they described as unfair and unjust accreditation of delegates being conducted by the state congress Committee.
The leaders, including former Senate President, Ameh Evite and former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh made this known in a statement on behalf of the entire party stakeholders from the zone on Saturday.
The aggrieved leaders in a petition to the Hon. Abubakar Mohammed Luggawero-led Committee insisted that list of delegates that was generated in Benue South and given to the Committee, is not genuine, hence unacceptable to them.
While stressing that the delegates’ list to be used for the election has to be that which was supplied from the National Secretariat of the party. The leaders called on the Chairman of the Congress Committee to provide and use the same list for the assignment.
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday got to climax again with the party holding parallel Congresses.
While the outgoing State Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye-led faction held the congress at the State Party Secretariat, GRA, Enugu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema’s faction held theirs at the Destiny Event Centre, Independence Layout.
Onyema’s faction which has the former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, Hon. Eugene Odo, Chief Emma Enukwu and Juliet Ibekaku present at the congress elected former Commissioner of Works in the State, Chief Ugo Agbala as the state chairman.
The Nwoye-led faction which has Ben Eze, Adulphus Udeh and Charles Chukwu contesting for the State Chairmanship position, was at the time of sending the report, still sorting votes in readiness for counting at the State party secretariat in an exercise being supervised by Akania Jonathan, Chairman of the Congress Committee.
At the Destiny Event Centre where Onyeama’s faction held its congress, Agbala won with 684 votes against his opponent, Paul Omeje’s four votes while the third contestant, Group Capt. Joe Orji did not show up.
And at the APC Lagos State congress, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi, emerged unopposed as state chairman through consensus. The congress, which took place at Mobolaji Johnson Arena Stadium, also saw 35 other executive members elected through voice votes, in an election conducted by the Chairman, Lagos APC Congress Committee, Bayo Adelabu (Pekelemes), while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the election through Sheu AbdulWahab. Adelabu disclosed that 1615 delegates were screened for the exercise.
Speaking at the venue, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu debunked the conduct of any other congress in the state, saying he was not aware of any other congress in the state.
Legal practitioner, Chief Dennis Otiotio-Odoni, was elected the chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa. Otiotio-Odoni who polled 582 votes defeated Chief Dan Igrubia who polled eight votes.
However, a faction of the party loyal to the former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri boycotted the State Congress citing a subsisting court order.
Former General Manager of the Imo State State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO), Macdonald Ebere, through consensus emerged the new State Chairman of the All Progressive Party (APC) in Imo State, held yesterday and was sworn in by Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
Speaking in Owerri shortly after the inauguration of state party executives, Gov Hope Uzodimma vowed to give full support to the party.