APC Congresses Record Large Turnout …As Rivers Shifted Congress Holds Today

The ward congresses of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) witnessed a huge turnout across the country, last Saturday, despite some hitches arising from late arrival of electoral materials, absence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and complaints of marginalization in some states.
The congresses were conducted to elect officers of the party at the ward level in preparation for state and national congresses of the party scheduled to hold later in the year.
In Kwara State, the congresses were peaceful and witnessed large turnout of APC members in all the 193 wards of the state.
Party sources told The Tide that the party had already harmonized its position before the ward congresses began to avoid unnecessary friction.
In Sokoto State, the ward executives emerged through a consensus arrangement in order to reduce tension and disagreements.
The congresses also went on peacefully in Enugu State with little or no hitches. The  Zonal Publicity Secretary of APC in the South East, Osita Okechukwu told newsmen shortly after the exercise in Enugu that the APC  was a party to beat in the 2015 general elections, urging the Ndigbo to embrace the party at all levels.
In Ogun State, Governor Ibikunle Amosun hailed the APC congresses in the State, describing it as very peaceful. He also commended members of the executive committees that carried out the exercise in the various wards.
Notwithstanding the massive turnout in the state, there were reports of absence or late arrival of INEC officials to supervise the exercise in some wards as required by the Electoral Act. Whereas in some other wards, late arrival of electoral materials almost marred the exercise.
In Lagos State, although the ward congresses witnessed a huge turnout of members, there were pockets of protests across the state. Some aggrieved APC  members from Ikeja, Agege, Ifako Ijaiye, Ojodu and other areas called for a fresh congress in the areas following alleged election irregularities. Several other party members trooped to the party State secretariat, carrying placards and alleging irregularities in the party’s congresses in the state.
The situation was, however, different in Kano, Adamawa and Rivers States where the ward congresses were postponed due to late arrival of electoral materials and officials for the exercise.
Members of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (APC), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and those from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), staged a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt against alleged indiscrimination by the leadership of APC in the State. They alleged that the party had been hijacked by the defecting members from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The ward congresses of the party in Rivers State were therefore postponed till Monday (today) while those of Kano and Adamawa states are billed to hold on Wednesday.
The chairman of the committee charged with the responsibility of overseeing the conduct of the exercise in Kano State, Dr Mustapha Inuwa said the decision to shift congress was informed by the late arrival of materials and officails for the conduct of the election.

Boye Salau

Some of the members of All Progressives Congress (APC) during their ward congress in Kwami Local Governments of Gombe State, last Saturday.