From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Deputy governor of Edo State and the Chairman, Local Government Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Philip Shuaibu, has said consensus arrangement worked for the peaceful conduct of the local government congress of the party held across the 33 local government areas of the pace setter state on Tuesday.
He made the disclosure in an interview with journalists in Ibadan, the state capital, shortly after he monitored the exercise in the state, along with the Chairman, Local Organising Committee for the congress, Senator Hosea Agboola, as well as other members of the committee.
The deputy governor monitored the congress in Ibadan South-East and Ibadan North-West Local Governments, while some of the other committee members were deployed to other divisions of the state, including Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, Oyo and Ogbomoso for monitoring of the congress at the centres approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Shuaibu stated that the peaceful conduct of the local government congress was not a surprise to him because the ward congress held last week was also peaceful, describing the peaceful conduct of PDP members in the state,  and the consensus agreement as a victory for the ruling party in future elections.
According to him, “Apart from the venues of the congresses, I personally visited, I got reports from other committee members we sent to other zones and local fovernments that it has been very peaceful and coordinated. We expected that because the main work was at the ward level.
“What we have seen today (Tuesday) is the affirmation of what happened last week and we are to go to fulfil the constitutional provision, which means even when there is consensus agreement, we must go to the field and affairm what we called consensus agreement. With reports we are getting from other local government and other zones, I am happy that the consensus is working with the results we are getting from the field.”
Chairman Local Organising Committee, Senator Hosea Agboola, noted that the peaceful conduct of the congress was made possible by the state governor, Seyi Makinde, saying: “We went round together and you can see that the congress was peaceful. We have been to Ibadan South-East and Ibadan North-West local governments. Other members of the committee have gone to Oke-Ogun, while other have gone to Ibarapa areas. Everything has been peaceful and no report of violence in any place.”
Former deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, has also commended the peaceful conduct of the congress after he participated in the exercise at Salvation Army Primary School, Yemetu, in Ibadan North Local Government Area.
“We are members of the same family and that is why we are doing it in line with our constitution. I want to use this opportunity to say a big thank you to all our members across the state that performed this electoral process across the 33 local governments in the state. We know that the PDP can get stronger if there is always peace and consensus among all our members.
“All our great party members in Ibadan North Local Government, you have done well for turning out in this number to be part of the PDP local government congress. Thank you all for the orderliness and peaceful way you conducted yourself. I commend all our newly elected officials. We are very lucky to have observers from INEC and security agencies, who witnessed the process of the local government congress,” Gbolarumi stated.
Reports from Oorelope Local Government, Igboho, in Oke-Ogun zone of the state stated that the party ratified the continuity in office of Alhaji Azeez Adeoti as the chairman of the party for another four years at the Town Hall, Owode  Igboho. Party leaders and loyalists from the 10 wards of the local government had converged on the Town Hall, dancing and hailing the good works of the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde.
Speaking shortly after the congress, the Oorelope Local Government chairman, Akeem Raheem and the Special Assistant (Print Media) to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Moses Alao, described the congresss as orderly and satisfactory.