The All Progressives Congress (APC) state congresses held across the country were marked by crisis and the formation of parallel state executives of the party in several states. Lagos, Ogun, Enugu, Kwara, Imo, Sokoto, Kano, Niger, Osun, Delta, Abia, and Rivers are among the states affected.
In Ogun State, about ten gunmen stormed the Ake Palace Ground in Abeokuta, the state capital, which was hosting the State Congress of a faction of the party loyal to the state’s former governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Despite the fact that the Congress Committee Chairman, Mr. Wale Ohu, had warned that only the outcome of the Congress held at the MKO Abiola Stadium would be recognized, a faction loyal to Amosun organized a parallel exercise at the palace.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite; the Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Tolu Odebiyi; and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) governorship candidate in the state’s 2019 election, Adekunle Akinlade were among the dignitaries who fled for their lives when the gunmen struck. The trio, on the other hand, escaped unharmed, but many others were not so fortunate, suffering varying degrees of injury. Several parked vehicles in front of the Palace were destroyed.
It was later gathered, however, that supporters of the faction regrouped and held the congress.
In Akwa Ibom State, supporters of Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Senator Godswill Akpabio held their congress at the Kara Event Centre on Stadium Road, while supporters of Senator Akpan John Udoedehe elected their officials at the Sheer Grace Centre in Uyo, the state capital
Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, said during the congress at Kara Event Centre that the various congresses were working for the party’s interest
In his remarks, Akpabio urged party members not to be concerned about disagreements among party leaders, assuring them that such disagreements would be resolved at a roundtable. In Kwara State, the faction loyal to the state governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has unanimously confirmed Chief Sunday Fagbemi, a former chairman of the PDP and now an APC chieftain, as the party’s state chairman. Mr. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, a loyalist of Information and Culture Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed, was re-elected as its factional state chairman.
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Parallel congresses were also held by the APC in Osun State.
Thugs believed to be loyal to one of the factions shot two members of the party.
The Osun Progressives (TOP), an APC faction loyal to Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, held a parallel congress in Ogo Oluwa, Osogbo, while the Ileri Oluwa faction, backed by Governor Gboyega Oyetola, also held a state congress at the stadium.
Hoodlums were said to have stormed the TOP factional congress with eight vehicles and began shooting from the main road. However, operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) engaged the thugs in a gun battle.
The gunmen, however, shot two APC members, Adedolapo Atobatele and Ismail Akinyede.
Mr. Gbenga Elegbeleye, the state chairman of the party’s National Congress Committee, oversaw the Oyetola faction’s congress.
Mr. Gboyega Famodun was re-elected as the state Chairman of the Ilerioluwa Group at the Osogbo City Stadium during the party’s congress.
Mr. Alao Olabisi was elected Secretary, and Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal was elected Deputy Chairman
Oyetola praised the congress committee for conducting a transparent and successful exercise in his remarks.
Meanwhile, members of TOP elected Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile, the party’s immediate past Secretary, as its new Chairman at a parallel congress held in Osogbo’s Onward area.
Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, a former Commissioner for Information in the state, was also elected the party’s Secretary.
The APC held three parallel congresses across Lagos State.
Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi emerged as the consensus chairman of the APC in the state at the APC’s main congress held at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Ground in Onikan, which was attended by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Congress elected 35 other executive members by voice vote.
Mr. Bayo Adelabu, Chairman of the Lagos APC Congress Committee, presided over the election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by Sheu AbdulWahab, had officials on the ground to monitor the election.
Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, who was on the ground for the congress, stated that he was unaware of any other congress in the state. Other congresses, he claimed, were “mere naming ceremonies.”
While thanking the APC’s national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, the governor stated, “Asiwaju has called me twice while the congress is going on, and I told him everything is fine.”
“You can see that females are well represented, almost outnumbering men.”
The team is made up of men of substance and caliber.
“I am hopeful that the team will elevate Lagos to a higher level,” he said
Under the aegis of the Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organisation (AMCO), loyalists of the immediate former governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, conducted their exercise at the Baptist Academy premises, with a former Chairman of the Mushin Local Government Area, Mrs. Beatrice Omotayo Tugbobo, emerging as the state APC chairman.
Tugbobo, who admitted that there were factions within the Lagos APC, told journalists that the exercise by her faction was being carried out in accordance with the party’s constitution, which stated that the congress could be held by consensus arrangement or election.
“According to the APC constitution, you can conduct your congresses by consensus or by voting, and the constitutional agreement from the APC National Headquarters is that we hold our congresses by consensus.”
In addition, at a congress held at the Airport Hotel in Ikeja, the Lagos4Lagos group presented its consensus candidates.
Furthermore, the congress held in Abia State produced two chairmen as each of the opposing camps held their congress.
Mr. Enyinnaya Harbour was elected Chairman of the Abia State Congress Committee, which was led by Hon. Kolawole Babatunde and included Hon. Muktar Bajeh as Secretary.
The congress was held at the sprawling Chidiebere Motors Arena in Umuahia, with two INEC representatives from the Abuja headquarters and the Abia State office in attendance.
The State Congress was held at the Indoor Sports Hall of Umuahia Township Stadium by loyalists of Chief Ikechi Emenike.
Senator Rochas Okorocha, the immediate past governor of Imo State, and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, the Board Chairman of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), were both absent as the APC, led by the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, held its state congress.
Macdonald Ebere, Uzodimma’s aide and long-time loyalist, was elected state chairman at the congress held in Owerri, the state capital.
Ebere succeeded Marcon Nlemigbo, who had served as interim president shortly after Uzodimma took power.
However, Okorocha, through his media aide, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, stated that he was unaware of any APC congress in the state.
“We were unaware of an APC congress in Imo State.” They held a birthday party today.
In our opinion, Dan Nwafor is the genuine chairman of the APC in Imo State
“There is a court decision from the APC to that effect.” It hasn’t been vacated yet.
You don’t just slap something on nothing and expect it to hold.”
In Delta State, the Senator Ovie Omo Agege faction of the party held a congress and announced a 35-man executive body to oversee the affairs of the state chapter of the party, despite protests from many party chieftains who have called on the national leadership to cancel the state congress and previous congresses.
Mr. Omeni Sobotie, a former political aide to ex-governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, was elected chairman of the new executive committee.
A seven-man Delta State APC Congress Committee led by its Chairman, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, conducted the exercise at the College of Education, Asaba premises, with INEC officials present as observers.
The Deputy Senate President, Omo-Agege, Senate Committee Chairman on Niger Delta, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, founding leader of the party in the state, O’tega Emerhor, and others were present at the factional congress.
However, the Delta State APC Leaders Council and State Working Committee members quickly distanced themselves from what they called a “Kangaroo State Congress” organized by Deputy Senate President, Senator Omo-Agege, and his cohorts.
The APC leaders stated this in a statement issued yesterday and signed by its 19 members, including the Minister of State for Labour and Employment and Chairman of the Council, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN); Co-Chairman, Dr. Alex Ideh; Council Secretary, Hon. Cairo Ojougboh; and Delta State APC governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, among others. The council insisted that the party’s national leadership correct the wrongs and anomalies in the Delta State chapter by ensuring the implementation of the recommendations of the John Odigie-Oyegun-led reconciliation committee, which were submitted and accepted by the Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee.
The APC leaders vowed that they would continue to uphold the party’s change mantra.
The party’s Niger State chapter was also split in two yesterday.
One of the party’s factions held its congress at a building on Bay Clinic Hospital Road in Minna, where Alhaji Nasiru Yussuf was elected chairman
