A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has told the APC not to go ahead with the congresses in Imo State pending the hearing of a suit brought before the Court by the applicant, Okey Anyikwa.
Justice Valentine Oriji threatened to invalidate the outcome of congresses if the party disregards the position of the Court, OBSERVERS TIMES report.
Oriji had, after Friday’s proceeding, ordered that all actions regarding the APC congresses in the state should be stayed pending the hearing of the application slated for August 10.
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There was tension in the Enugu state chapter of the APC over allegations that materials for the ward congress of the party might have been hijacked by some stakeholders of the party.
It was gathered that stakeholders of the party drawn from the 17 local government areas of the state and 260 political wards who were invited for a briefing waited in vain at the party secretariat, GRA, Enugu on Thursday as no member of the committee showed up.
The tension heightened when information filtered in that the secretary of the committee, Ben Kure from Kaduna state, who was sworn in on Wednesday at the National Secretariat of APC in Abuja, had been suddenly replaced.
The party at the state paid for delegate forms, none of the forms had been received as of Thursday evening at the secretariat in Enugu, paving way for suspicion that the actual delegates may not participate in the exercise.
A chieftain of the party in the state who craved anonymity on the development said,” All the sensitive materials have been given to a member of the committee, whom we learnt is taking orders from one of the leaders of the party in the southeast zone.
“The worry is that the little success we have made in bringing members together might kiss the dust if the congress is not well managed. Nobody is ready to accept the kind of thing they did in Anambra state during the governorship primary.
“The committee members must come to Enugu and conduct this congress in line with the stipulated guidelines”, a chieftain of the party, Chief Onyeike Ugwu said.
Ugwu, who further alleged that the chairman of the committee may be moved into Enugu state in a “chartered flight and quartered in one of the best hotels in the state”, wondered who was picking the bills.
According to him, “I know that it is not the party that is hiring a chartered flight for the chairman of the Committee.To do so will cost millions of naira. So where is the money coming from?”, he queried, warning that caution should be applied “so as not to return this party to warpath”.
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Efforts to speak with the State Caretaker Committee chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye, failed as none of his mobile phones was available as at the time of filing this report.
But the Enugu State Ward Congress Committee chairman, Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, said the anxiety being expressed by the members were not necessary, saying that his committee members would be in Enugu today (Friday).
“They should have called the national secretariat of the party. Talking about hijacking is part of their job. Nobody has hijacked the process and I am not working for any individual” he denied.
However, a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani has challenged APC members in Enugu to use the ward Congresses to lay the political foundation for victory in future elections.
He gave the advice yesterday during the stakeholders meeting with the seven member committee for ward congress election for Enugu State.
Earlier, the chairman of the caretaker committee of APC in Enugu State, Dr Ben Nwoye had commended the stakeholders for attending the event.
He said that most of the wards have already agreed on consensus arrangements but added that those who are indisposed to the arrangement will have their congress.
In Bayelsa State, there is confusion over the restraining order slammed against the party by a State High Court to stop the conduct of the ward Congress into the 105 wards of the state.
But the factions of the party loyal to both the minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and Former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri have declared their readiness to go ahead despite the court order.
The Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa later yesterday in a motion Ex-Parte filed by some aggrieved members of the APC in the state, Ompadec Victor, Esuenifen Obi and Seimiegha Ebibofe Agbozu sought the court Interim injunction stopping the conduct of the ward Congress in the state.
In the suit numbered YHC/07/2021, with the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the only respondent, the claimants asked the court to restrain the Party’s caretaker/extra ordinary Convention Committee from assigning or conducting Congress to elect state, local government and ward party leaders in the state scheduled for Saturday 31st, July, 2021 until the determination of the motion on Notice already before the court.
The Court adjourned the hearing on the motion ex-parte August 9,, 2021.
According to LEADERSHIP Newspaper, some senior members from both sides confirmed that they are prepared to conduct parallel congresses tomorrow, Saturday to elect party executive into the 105 wards in the state.
The two factions led by the minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and that of the Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri are busy at their two parallel secretariat preparing for the ward Congresses in the 105 wards of the state.
The OBSERVERS TIMES can authoritatively revealed that the participation forms had been distributed to each ward, filled by candidates and submitted to the secretariat.
The acting secretary of the party, Alabo Martins said the party is ready for the conduct of the ward Congress as required by the party.
He said the party at the State had met and agreed to adopt a consensus option of affirmation to elect the required 105 ward executives in the state.
“it is a peaceful and well organised process in our party,” he said.
Also commenting, the acting State Organising Secretary of the Party, Tari Emberru, dismissed the claim of purported confusion in the party ahead of tomorrow’s Congress.
“Our Congress from ward, state and national is a family affair and it would be peaceful,” he said
Emberru also dismissed the claim of a faction in the Bayelsa APC, “there is no faction in APC in the state. The APC is united and indivisible with Jothan Amos as Acting Chairman, Alabo Martins as Acting Secretary and our leader and father is the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.”
However at the parallel secretariat located at the Dimrose junction area of the State capital and presided over by a faction of the All Progressive Congress (APC) led by Hon. Ebierien Fala Itubor, the same processes of registration of 105 ward executives are confirmed to be done ahead of today’s Congress.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the Hon. Ebierien Fala Itubor led faction of the APC also had the backing of the National Committee sent to preside over the ward Congress. But the Hon. Ebierien Fala Itubor led executives have resolved to conduct elections into the ward executive offices.
In Kwara State party leaders have agreed to adopt consensus candidates for ward congresses across the 16 local government areas of the state.
This is just as the chairman of the Kwara APC ward congress, Prof Jonathan Ayuba urged all the stakeholders to ensure that the process is peaceful and orderly.
At the end of the stakeholders’ meeting called by the APC National Headquarters’ Congress Planning Committee in Ilorin, members of the party unanimously settled for consensus candidates across the 193 wards.
The pre-congress stakeholders’ meeting was attended by top party chieftains from the state, including Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Speaker of the House of Assembly Yakubu Danladi Salihu; Senators Yahya Oloriegbe (Central); Lola Ashiru (South); House of Representatives members; House of Assembly members; Kwara APC Caretaker committee chairman, Alh Abdullahi Samari; and many others.
Governor AbdulRazaq said the party congress is a democratic process designed to ensure smooth running of the party. He reiterated the commitment of the APC administration to serve the masses.
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However members of the APC faction in Kwara State loyal to Information and Culture minister, Alh Lai Mohammed have expressed their preparedness to participate in the ward congress slated for Saturday.
This is just as they blamed Governor Mai Mala Buni – led national leadership of the party for the crisis rocking APC in the state.
The APC Factional legal adviser, Barr. Ladi Mustapha disclosed this at a news conference in Ilorin, the state capital.
OBSERVERS TIMES earlier reported that the secretary of the ward congress committee from the APC national secretariat, Abuja, Yusuf AbdulRahman, had at a news conference in Ilorin on Tuesday advised all interested contestants to purchase forms from the recognised party secretariat in the state .
AbdulRahman who held a joint press conference with Kwara APC chairman, Alh Abdullahi Samari, said : “We are well prepared for the assignment; as you know, we have been on it since last three months. We only urge our party’s members in the state to come out and participate fully, as we are here for everybody”.
But, Mustapha said yesterday : ” Gentlemen of the press, I am delighted to inform you that we have secured nomination forms for all prospective contestants into positions at the wards and local governments in compliance with the set guidelines for the exercise.
“We hereby express our preparedness for the ward congresses of our great party, which commences on Saturday, July 31, 2021, provided every other thing remains constant.”