Imo, Rivers, Oyo Left Out As APC Holds LG Congresses
The All Progressives Congress on Saturday held local government congresses across the country as the party continued its quest to pick new leaders.
Three states – Imo, Rivers and Oyo – are, however, not participating in the congresses for various reasons.
In Imo State, the LG congresses were postponed after fire gutted party’s secretariat in the state, destroying vital documents, on Friday evening.
This fire led to tension as some witnesses alleged that the secretariat was set ablaze by some yet to be identified hoodlums.
The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and other members of the Party’s National Working Committee confirmed the postponement of the congress in Abuja after a meeting with the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, later on Friday.
No new date has been announced for the exercise in the state.
As for Rivers State, the LG congress was postponed after internal wrangling in the state chapter of the party degenerated into a legal dispute.
On Friday, Senator Magnus Abe secured an injunction from a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital, stopping the exercise.
Ahead of the court’s ruling, there were chaotic scenes on the court premises as opposing party members clashed.
In Oyo, the LG congress was shifted to Sunday due to Saturday’s local government elections in the state.
Beyond that, the LG congresses were mostly peaceful across the states and in the areas visited by our correspondents.
In Kano, the congress is taking place across the 44 local government areas of the state.
The process started at the party’s state secretariat where the Congress Committee distributed materials to each local government representative.
Subsequently, the state Commissioner of Information, Muhammad Garba, visited congress venues to observe the conduct of the congress, starting with Tarauni Local Government Area.
In Niger State, the party opted to affirm the existing leadership and the congress commenced without hitch.
Governor Abubakar Bello, who went around to monitor the congress along with the team from the party’s national headquarters, urged party members to remain peaceful and uphold its ideals.
