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The state congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) witnessed split exercises in some states with Lagos, Osun, Abia and Ogun recording obvious parallel congresses. In the case of Ogun state, shooting was reported at the venue of the congress organized by the splinter group.
in Lagos State, 36 state party officials were elected through voice votes at the mainstream party’s congress held at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos.
The seven-man Lagos APC State Congress Committee headed by Mr Adebayo Adelabu, the 2019 Governorship Candidate of APC in Oyo State, said that the committee received 37 forms for the 36 party positions.
Adelabu said that 35 aspirants were returned unopposed while the position of the chairman was contested by two aspirants but one of the aspirants was unsuccessful and disqualified during screening.
“Since all the aspirants were unopposed, a voice vote would be adopted for the conduct of the election.
“As regard screening, we have harmonised the list of the delegates with what we have from the national level. 1, 615 delegates across various local government will participate in the congress,” he said.
The congress chairman, who noted that the committee would ensure transparency and fairness in the conduct, said that all aspirants were on Friday screened at the Party Secretariat on Acme Road.
“The congress is yours while our job is to oversees the process and ensure that the procedures ad guidelines are strictly followed.
“Our job is to ensure transparency, objective and ensure all the guidelines from Abuja are followed.
“The success of the congress depends on your conduct and readiness to tolerate each other.
“We are happy and impressed with what we have seen so far. You have tried in terms of organisation and security,” he said.
Adelabu said that the party had complied with the all guidelines pertaining venue of the Congress, screening of all aspirants and mode of voting.
Mr Cornelius Ojelabi emerged the Chairman of the newly elected Lagos APC State Executive Council with Mr Olanrewaju Maiyegun as the deputy chairman.
However, there were reports of parallel APC Congresses by some aggrieved groups held at different locations in Lagos on Saturday.
The Lagos4lagos Movement, an aggrieved group within Lagos APC led by Olajide Adediran elected its Deputy Apex Leader, Sunday Ajayi, as the APC state chairman at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.
In Ogun State, shooting was heard at the venue of the parallel congress.
APC in Osun also held parallel congresses. Mr Gbenga Elegbeleye, the Chairman, National Congress Committee of the party, supervised the congress conducted by the Ilerioluwa Group, loyal to Gov. Gboyega Oyetola.
Also, the other faction, The Osun Progressives (TOP), loyal to a former Governor in the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, comprising mainly those who served in his cabinet, conducted its own congress at another venue in the town.
Abia APC also witnessed parallel congresses as Donatus Nwankpa and Chief Ikechi Emenike organised parallel state congresses in Umuahia.
The exercise conducted by the group loyal to Emenike, was supervised by the State Congress Committee, led by Rep. Kolawole Babatunde.
The committee returned Chief Enyinnaya Harbour as the state Chairman, having polled 1,260 votes with 17 voided votes.
The committee also returned Chief Chidi Agbaja, who scored 1,200 votes, with 22 voided votes, as the state Secretary.
It returned Chief Obinna Atuonwu, who polled 1,214 votes with 20 voided votes, as the state Organising Secretary.
