Violence, protests and controversies have continued to trail the on-going ward congress of the All Peoples Congress (APC) across the nation. Losses of varying degrees have been recorded while many people are presently receiving treatments in hospitals aftermath of the violence that visited the congress.
Ondo
One person has been confirmed dead and fifteen injured in the All Peoples Congress of Nigeria (APC)’s ward congress that held in Akure, Ondo State yesterday.
Bosun Adegorola was shot dead shot on the head at Ajipowo area ward 2 in Akure, when some members of another faction invaded the area and started disrupting the exercise on the excuse that the conduct of the primaries was planned to favour a faction.
Public Relations Officer of Ondo State Police Command, Wole Ogodo, confirmed that no fewer than three persons have been arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, CID, in relations to the violence perpetrated in the state and detained at.
Edo
On Wednesday, around 2:30am, thugs reportedly razed the home of former Theophilus Okoh, in Ibori, Esan Central Local Government Area, as a result of fractional fracas that trailed Edo All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congresses.
The action was said to be a revenge attack after the fraction to which the alleged thugs were loyal suffered defeat at the congress.
Thousands of members of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, led by the Eson of Benin Kingdom, Chief Amos Osunbor, on Wednesday, protested Tuesday’s ward congress in the state and warned that they may seek an alternative party if the exercise was not cancelled.
Among the protesters were Nosa Adams, Mrs Evelyn Igbafe and three members of the state House of Assembly, who called for the dissolution of the committee sent from Abuja to handle the congress.
The group said that the committee members “became invisible when we were asked to send names. Due to their absence, no material was on ground to record the results. As if the whole exercise was designed to fail, they sponsored violence, armed thugs beat up and unleashed mayhem on fellow party members.
“We call for the immediate cancellation of the purported congress and dissolution of the committee in charge of the exercise.”
However, the state chairman of the party, Chief Osaro Idah, who described the exercise as a huge success, regretted that “after the congress, our opponents, who are not members of APC, started shooting in some areas to destabilise the process and create the impression that there was chaos.
“We have earlier received the information that some leaders of the opposition parties across the state mobilised thugs to destabilise our ward congress.
“I can say that the ward congress was 99 per cent peaceful and it is the best congress we have ever had in the state.”
Ogun
Two factions of the party held parallel congresses and produced two different executives in all 235 wards across the state.
The Congress Committee of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ogun State on Tuesday suspended the proposed re-run congress after a faction of the party staged a protest over the controversial congresses that held on Saturday.
The Chairman of the Committee, Ope Salami, made this known a few hours after a faction led by a former Deputy Governor in the State and a serving senator, Adegbenga Kaka, turned down the planned re-run congress
The crisis in the party resulted in two factions of the party holding parallel congresses and producing two different executives in all 235 wards across the state.
Efforts by the State Congress Committee to harmonise the two factions were unsuccessful.
Lagos
The ward congress was largely peaceful in Lagos but pockets of violence were recorded in some parts of the state which required the interim party executive to postpone elections in such area to today (Thurday). Mushin became a flashpoint of violence as machetes, broken bottles and light weapons were freely used by different political camps. Honourable Funmi Tejuosho, a serving lawmaker in Lagos House of Assembly, was rumoured as arrowhead of some violent youths in Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA.
Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state stormed the party’s secretariat, Wednesday to protest a publication that excluded their wards from the ward congress re-run elections in the state.
The protesters, who converged from various wards across the state, demanded justice and fair play from the party.
The re-run publication, carried by some national dailies and endorsed by the Dr Garuba Abari-led APC Congresses Committee for Lagos State, fixed re-run congresses in some wards in the state
Out of the 377 wards where congresses election were held on 5 April, the committee declared re-run in 102 wards, slated for 10 April.
Bauchi
The Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the town of Bauchi was set on fire by unknown persons in the early hours of Wednesday, as the party prepared to commence ward congresses across the state in the morning.
Notwithstanding the fire incident, officials of the party went ahead to conduct the ward congresses across the state. There were no reported hitches in Bauchi.
Mohammed Haruna, DSP, the police public relations officer of the Bauchi State Police Command, confirmed the destruction of the APC secretariat.
Some party members, who expressed that APC Bauchi was one of the most united families in Nigeria, insinuated that the burning of the party secretariat might have been carried out by the opposition party.
Ekiti
Ekiti State APC opted for non-elective ward congress. Interim chairman of the party in Ekiti State, Chief Jide Awe in an interview told the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday said it had been agreed that all current interim state officers of the party should be retained.
“It is true; we are holding our Ward Congress this Saturday but we felt since the party had decided that all interim state officers, including myself will be returned, there is no need for any election. There will still be ceremonies to mark the day in all the 177 wards and we are sure things will go as planned,” Awe said.
He disclosed that a 9-man committee, to be chaired by Mr. Bayo Afere had already been constituted by the state exco to facilitate a hitch-free exercise. Awe, however, clarified that the fact that the Saturday’s congress would be devoid of voting did not mean that certain offices where vacancies exist could still not be filled by affirmation.
“Ours is a ruling party in this state and it is our resolve that we must provide leadership and direction to other political parties,” Awe declared.
Oyo
Only six local councils, out of 33, held ward congress. Investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed that party members in 27 other council areas resolved on consensus arrangement to choose their ward executives.
The councils where primaries were held were Atiba, Oyo West, Afijio, Surulere, Ogo-Oluwa and Ogbomoso North.
The congress was, however, marred by threat to peace in some council areas such as Iseyin and Oyo West where party members disagreed on the mode of voting and choice of party leaders.
NAN reported that there was tension in Enkunle Ward 2 and 3, Ado-Awaye Ward 1 and Faramara in Ward 5 in Iseyin Local Government Area where party members opted for primaries but could not agree on the mode of voting.
Some party faithful were said to have opted for open ballot system of voting while others insisted on secret ballot. NAN also said that the quick intervention of the party’s interim leadership in the council area doused tension although election was yet to commence as at the time of filing this report.
However, there was orderly conduct of the congress in the other eight wards across the council.
Abuja
The FCT chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday elected 156 party officials across the six Area Councils during its ward congress in the territory.
The Chairman, Congress Committee of the FCT, Alhaji Abubakar Wurno, made this known in an interview on Wednesday in Abuja.
“ Twenty-six candidates emerged winners in each ward across the six area councils during the just concluded ward APC ward congress in FCT.
“Those elected were the ward Chairmen, Deputy Chairmen, Assistant Deputy Chairmen, Secretaries, Organising Secretaries, Legal Advisers, Women Leaders and five delegates to the Local Government congress among others.“
He said that the congress committee provided a level playing ground for all aspirants before and during the election to ensure free, fair and credible election.
Wurno added that in each ward, election was conducted in the presence of security agencies, INEC officials and agents of all the contestants, in line with the party’s guideline.
He, however, said that election was not conducted in Kabusa and Wuse wards due to lack of agreement between aspirants in the areas.
Additional Reports from NAN, PremiumTimes, Vanguard