From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The All Progressive Congress (APC) technical committee that supervised the conduct of last Saturday’s ward congress in Delta State have described the exercise as peaceful.
The seven-man committee made this known in Asaba while briefing newsmen on the conduct of the congresses across the 25 local government areas.
Six members of the committee including the chairman, Matthew Omegara; secretary, Kelvin Ugwu; Wahid Olajide, Felix Wilson and Alloysius Ezenwa had arrived the state last Friday.
Addressing journalists on Sunday, Omegara expressed gratitude to the leaders and members of the party in the state for the the peaceful conduct of the congresses.
“The congress went smoothly and peaceful. The committee received report of free and fair ward congress election to bring in new leadership of our great party,” he stated.
However, some notable leaders under the aegis of Delta APC Leaders’ Council with Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo as chairman, boycotted the exercise on ground that the procedures were faulty.
In a statement signed by Kayemo and nine other leaders, insisted that the congresses lacked legitimacy “in both procedure and substance as it relates to the Guidelines (and in the face of the Supreme Court judgment, the legitimacy of those Guidelines may be called to question later).
“We are confident that the duty to set things right now falls on us and we shall do that for the sake of posterity.”
Other members of the leaders’ council include Dr. Alex Ideh, Great Ogboru (2019 APC governorship candidate), Victor Ochei, Monday Igbuya, Cairo Ojougboh, Mrs. Marian Ali, AVM Okorodudu (Rtd), Eugene Okolocha and Timinimi.
Regardless of the position of the leaders’ council, chairman of the state APC caretaker committee, Jones Erue said the conduct of the Congress has “set the pace, showing example to other parts of the country that congresses can be conducted peacefully.
“The peaceful conduct of the congresses portend victory for the party in 2023.”
On whether he could say there is relative peace among party members, he said: “I don’t know the definition of relative peace. Even in families, are there relative peace? No perfect peace.
“You asked me whether there are sustainable peace; are there sustainable peace? The answer is yes. Sustainable peace when injustice is addressed and peace is guaranteed. That is where we have sustainable peace but, in anywhere in life, there is no real peace.”