From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
State chairmanship aspirant in the just concluded State congress of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benue State, Omale Omale on Tuesday approached the party’s Appeal Panel praying it to cancel the October 16th state congress in the state.
Omale noted that it is only if this is done that the Panel can give breath to its solemn assurance to ensure open, credible and fair congresses that reflect the sanctity of internal democracy in the party.
This is contained in a petition dated October, 17th 2021 and forwarded to the chairman of the Appeal Panel titled, ‘RE: APC State Congress In Benue State Our Complaint And Prayers’, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday.
In the letter, Omale however gave the Panel the option to uphold and ratify the decision of stakeholders in the Benue South Senatorial District popularly known as Zone C who made him their consensus chairmanship candidate for the said Congress.
Omale who insisted that there was no valid congress in the state on October 16th this year, faulted the State Congress Committee for not conducting screening exercise and accreditation of the aspirants before the said Congress.
He alleged further that the committee neither presented membership register for the various wards nor published any list of authentic delegates for the state congress before and during the congress.
The chairmanship aspirant who submitted that the state congress did not in anyway comply with the mandatory procedure on the mode of conducting election and stressed that the just concluded State congress in Benue violated article 20(4) of the party constitution.
“It is my conclusion that there was no valid congress held in Benue State as the State Congress Committee, SCC did not conduct any screening exercise, did not conduct any accreditation, did not present any membership register for the various wards; did not present and publish list of authentic delegates for the state congress before, during and at no time in the course of the state congress; did not published the names of
aspirants and the position they are vying for.
“An irregularity that goes to the root of the entire congress and the purported outcome and in the interest of justice, equity and the sanctity of our party and in the circumstance affirm the resolution of the Stakeholders of the Zone C ably led by Senator Ameh Ebute ( Former Senate President of Nigeria and a Member of a Board of Trustee of our Party ), Chief Audu Ogbe, Hon. Dan Owoicho Ale (Former Deputy Speaker, Benue State) and others and declare me as the Consensus Chairman of our Party in Benue for the State Congress 2021,” the petition read in part.