APC Crisis Deepens as 10 States Hold Parallel Congresses

Abdullahi: we won’t recognise illegal exercises

The crisis in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) showed no sign of receding as violence marred the state congresses of the party held yesterday nationwide, with 10 states hosting parallel congresses. The states where factions of the party worked at cross-purposes were Lagos, Kwara, Delta, Rivers, Ondo, Enugu, Kogi, Bayelsa, Oyo, and Ebonyi.

However, APC has said any congress not conducted by the committee appointed by the party is illegal and whatever result it generated is null and void. Speaking in reference to the controversies being generated by conduct of parallel congresses by aggrieved stakeholders in some states during the congress, the National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdulahi, said as far the APC was concerned there was nothing like parallel congress.

Abdulahi, who responded to THISDAY's enquiry through text message last night, said, “There is no such thing as parallel congress. The only recognised congresses are those organised by the congress committees charged by the party to organise such congresses.”

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party had seemed to foresee the trend of parallel voting and attempted to prevent it by extending, for one year, the tenure of its members from the ward to the national level.

But an uprising against the move forced President Muhammadu Buhari to compel the NEC to shelve the idea and conduct elective congresses.

However, it has been like a Tower of Babel since the exercise started from the wards three weeks ago, through the local governments last week, and the states yesterday.

The APC in Kwara State yesterday returned 34 members of its state executive committee by consensus, with Alhaji Isola Balogun Fulani retaining his chairmanship position. However, an opposing group in the party held another state congress coordinated by Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at Arca Event Centre in Ilorin.

A similar thing happened in Delta State, where a group in APC loyal to Senator Ovie OmoAgege held a state congress to

elect a state working committee, despite the postponement of the exercise to May 21 by the national leadership of the party. One Olugbenga presided over the congress held at Saint Mulumba Primary/Secondary School, Okpanam, adjoining Asaba.

In Rivers State, APC members loyal to Senator Magnus Abe shunned the rescheduled congress, citing a court injunction. The national chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, announced the cancellation of the two previously held congresses in the state and announced new dates for the exercise as May 19 for ward congress, May 20 for local government congress, and May 21 for state congress.

In Ebonyi State, Chief Sylvester Nwambe emerged Ebonyi APC chairman amid allegations that policemen from the state police command barred delegates from a faction of the party loyal to the former APC governorship candidate, Senator Julius Ucha, from gaining entrance to the venue of the state congress. Ucha's group, however, relocated to the APC party secretariat to hold its own congress where Dr. Sylvester Nwambe emerged as the state chairman.

There was fracas during the state congress in Enugu State, which ended in the election of two parallel executive committees. Notable chieftains of APC in the state, including former Senate President Ken Nnamani, former Governor Sullivan Chime, National Vice Chairman, Emma Eneukwu, Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, and former Gombe State military administrator, Joe Orji, escaped mob attack at the congress.

Some party members invaded the Indoor Sports Hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, venue of the congress about 2:30pm, when accreditation of delegates was about to commence and started destroying chairs, tables and everything in sight. The mob overpowered security agents at the venue. They had surged into the hall at the same time when foreign affairs minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Justice Reforms, Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku, and a former Secretary to the Government of Enugu State, Chief Onyemauche Nnamani, arrived the venue. They claimed that the congress committee led by Mr. Charles Brown had mapped out strategies to disenfranchise some delegates who emerged from the parallel ward and local government congresses.

The election of state executive committee members of APC yesterday in Bayelsa State was largely peaceful, though, a faction of the party held a separate congress where it elected its own executive.

The congress by the mainstream members under the leader of the party in the state, former Governor Timipre Sylva, held in a fully packed venue at the state APC secretariat in Yenagoa. It was supervised by chairman of the state congress committee Col. Ahmed Usman, a former military administrator of Ondo and Oyo states, and witnessed by officials of INEC.

At the end of the exercise, Jothan Amos, who was unopposed, emerged chairman. Ogeibiri Orubebe was elected vice chairman, and Martin Alabo emerged secretary. Journalist, political activist, and media aide to Sylva, Mr Doifie Buokoribo, was voted as state publicity secretary, in what members said was an attempt to reposition APC in Bayelsa State.

The other gathering took place at the Azikoro Primary School, Azikoro Village, in Yenagoa, and was sponsored by an ex-acting governor of the state, Nestor Binabo, and supervised by secretary of the state congress committee, Ambassador Soni Abang. Joseph Fafi was elected chairman by the group.

In Ondo State, there was factional voting amid fighting. While Mr Ade Adetimehin and Alaye Adesina emerged as the chairman and secretary, respectively, of a faction, Mr Idowu Otetubi emerged the chairman of another faction while Mr Gani Mohammed emerged as his secretary. At the end of the exercise, which had delegates from the 18 local government areas of the state, all the new state officers were returned unopposed through affirmation, except for the position of the state chairman. Apart from the voice vote, delegates were given ballot to officially endorse the chairman.

Oyo State also witnessed two congresses, which elected parallel executive committees at the main bowl of the Lekan Salami Stadium and Obafemi Awolowo stadium (formerly Liberty stadium), both in Ibadan.

While loyalists of the state governor, including former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala and the former Senate leader, Teslim Folarin, held theirs at Adamasingba, the breakaway group under the banner of Oyo APC Unity Forum, comprising Minister for Communications, Adebayo Shittu, Senator Mon- surat Sunmonu, nine House of Representatives members, and two gubernatorial aspirants, Prof Adeolu Akande and Dr. Yunus Akintunde, converged on Liberty Stadium. Both congresses were attended by INEC officials and delegations from Abuja.

Kogi State also had two state congresses. The Alhaji Hadi Ametuo faction held its congress at St Peter's Primary School, Felele, Lokoja, and was observed by officials of INEC, while the faction loyal to Governor Yahaya Bello held its congress at the Confluence Stadium, in Lokoja. While Ametuo emerged as chairman from his group, the faction of the governor elected Abdullahi Bello as state chairman.

The congress at St. Peter's Primary School Felele had aggrieved members of the state APC who are supporters of the Audu/Faleke political group.

APC in Lagos State equally produced two chairmen from two parallel congresses. While the Senator Uche Ekwunife-led APC state congress committee and officials of INEC witnessed and approved the congress held at the Acme Road, Ikeja party secretariat, a faction of led by Alhaji Fouad Oki conducted another primary at the Lagos Airport Hotel, where he emerged chairman.

The congress held at the party secretariat produced Alhaji Tunde Balogun as the state chairman; deputy chairman, Chief Sunny Ajose; secretary, Mr. Wale Ahmed; women leader, Mrs. Jumoke Okoya; vice chairman, Lagos Central, Hon. Bamgbola Hakeem; vice chairman, Lagos East, Ashipa Kaoli Olusanya, and vice chairman, Lagos West, Hon. Funsho Ologunde, among others.