The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has elected Chief Okey Ogbodo as its new chairman,
The congress which held at the indoor hall of the National Sports Commission (NSC) also returned Mr Ikechukwu Oloto as the party secretary while Mr Adolphus Ude was voted as the deputy chairman.
Mrs Queen Nwankwo was elected women’s leader.
However, the congress was conducted amidst rancour as some party chieftains as well as the congress electoral committee and representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) walked out of the venue.
However, the DSS and other security agencies were present during the exercise.
The aggrieved party chieftains, including the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, alleged that non-accredited delegates gained entrance into the venue.
Other chieftains of the party that walked out of the venue included former governor of the state, Mr Sullivan Chime and former state party chairman, Mr Ben Nwoye.
Briefing newsmen after the election, Ogbodo said he was on a mission to unite all warring factions of the party.
He said that the time had come for members of the party to get things rights in order to fully support the administration of President Muhammad Buhari.
He said that the party would not tolerate any form of impunity, corruption and sabotage.
Ogbodo called on all aggrieved members of the party to sheath their swords in order to win future elections in the state.
Prior to the exercise, the state chapter of the party had been enmeshed in controversy with each of the factions conducting its parallel congresses.
However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama had during a meeting of party faithful in the state called for unity in the conduct of the election.
Onyeama said that it would be wrong to disenfranchise both aspirants and delegates who had either bought nomination forms or were elected as delegates.
Meanwhile, the party chieftains that staged a walkout from the exercise had yet to react to the outcome of the exercise as their whereabouts were not known.
The Congress in Niger State was held amidst protest by delegates from Lapai, Agaie, Mashegu, Tafa, Kontagora Gbako, Lavun and Katchia local government areas.
The protest followed the affirmation of the candidates for the 36 executive positions who had no challengers as announced by the Chairman of the Congress, Mr Domingo Obende.
The delegates, who mainly kicked against the affirmation of the party Secretary, Muhammad Liman and Publicity Secretary Isah Wakili, said they were not their choices.
Governor Abubakar Bello, while addressing the new executive members of the party, urged them to carry all dissenting groups along.
Also the party Chairman, Alhaji Muhammed Imam, promised to take the party to the next level.
He promised to commence tour of the 25 local government areas of the state in June/July to ensure that all warring groups were reconciled to ensure the electoral victory of the party in 2019.
The Taraba State Congress was suspended, following crisis that rocked the exercise in the state on Saturday.
Chairman of the Congress Committee, Rtd. Maj Gen Danjuma Dambazau while announcing the suspension of the State Congress said the committee would sit and look at the issues that led to the protest with a view to resolving them.
About 4:45pm when the exercise was about to commence at the Jolly Nyame Stadium in Jalingo, some chieftains of the party stormed the venue demanding the committee to use the list earlier sent to the National Headquarters of the party in Abuja.
The protesters were led by the former Acting governor of the state, Alhaji Abubakar Danladi, a former Governorship candidate in the state, Chief David Kente and the National President of Trade Union Congress, (TUC), Mr Bala Kaigama.
They accused the Committee of tampering with the delegates list duly signed by returning officers during the ward and local government Congresses.
As they were engaging the Electoral Committee sent from Abuja on how to resolve the issue of delegate list, one of the supporters seized the materials for the election, while others dismantled some items on the high table, causing pandemonium in the hall.
One of the protesters, Kaigama told journalists that the team from Abuja was acting a script in favour of the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan to shortchange other chieftains of the party ahead of 2019 elections.
According to him the time of manipulation in the party was over.
“We are in the game to correct the rot in the system.
“Tarabans are now wiser and we will not take the manipulation of the five man committee sent to conduct the election in the state in favour of a particular candidate,” he said.
On his part, Kente who noted that they had asked the committee to paste the delegates list at the party secretariat in Jalingo for verification before the delegate election said the committee members were not fair to all.
“Three of the five man committee agreed that the list they were using was not from Abuja but from the INEC office in Jalingo and that is where the problem lies.
“The State Congress will not hold here unless we sit down and resolve the issues involved,” he said.
Minister of Women Affairs, Alhassan refused to comment on the issue, saying “I don’t know what is happening, I am just coming into the hall.”
Answering questions from journalists, the Chairman of the committee, Gen. Dambazau described the action of the protesters as a show of shame.
He explained that the committee discovered that the list sent to Abuja was tampered with and decided to use the list validated by INEC on the directive of the national Secretariat of the party.
According to him, the action was aimed at ensuring fairness, since INEC were part of the ward and local government Congresses held across the country.
“The list that was sent to Abuja was discovered to have been tempered with and the National Secretariat issued a directive for the withdrawal of the list and mandated this committee to use the list from INEC for the conduct of the state congress.
“However, since these people felt disgruntled and prevented us from using the list to screen delegates for the state Congress we will act accordingly.” he said.
Mr Hillary Ekeh was re-elected as Imo APC party Chairman.
The party delegates who described the congress election as peaceful and successful also re-elected Deputy Chairman Mr Ugochukwu Nzekwe.
But Governor Rochas Okorocha described the election as illegal, claiming that there was a court injunction restraining the party from conducting the election.
Okorocha’s Chief press Secretary, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, issued a statement that the governor had obtained an injunction from an Owerri high court to stop the congress.
The party Chairman Hillary Ekeh countered the claim by saying neither he nor any member of the executive was served the injunction notice.
But the Imo police command claimed an injunction notice was served them and appealed that the congress be put on hold.
Andrew Enwerem, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) who disclosed this added that police will not allow any illegal gathering in the state.
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume described the congress election as peaceful and well-coordinated.
He said there was no fracas or any form of violence during the process and commended the party chairman for his re-election.
He also lauded party delegates who in their wisdom decided to retain Ekeh as their chairman.
Asked if he has any idea of the injunction notice, Araraume said there was nothing like injunction stopping the conduct of the election.
“We the party stakeholders have no idea of any injunction, but even if there is an injunction nobody had been served so our election has to move on,” he said.
Sen Hope Uzodinma in a telephone interview told NAN that there was no hitch during the conduct of the election, adding that the congress in Imo indicated that democracy is growing in Imo.
Deputy Governor Mr Eze Madumere said the state congress was held successfully and the mandate of the people has been protected.
But the Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Okorocha, Kingsley Uju insisted that a faction of the party went into an unknown place to hold state congress even when a court injunction was served against the conduct of the election.
Chief Derin Adebiyi, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Political Affairs, emerged as the Chairman of the state executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State.
In a peaceful exercise, former Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Bashiru Fadayiro and Patrick Ogunde emerged Deputy Chairman and Secretary respectively.
A former media aide to former Gov. Olusegun Osoba, Wole Elegbede, equally, emerged as the Publicity Secretary.
The Chairman of the Congress Committee, Rev. Peter Obadan, announced the result at the conclusion of the exercise.
He disclosed that a total of 1,749 delegates from 20 local governments in the state, were accredited and participated in the congress.
Obadan, who described the election as peaceful, said out of the total votes cast, 18 were voided, just as he commended the party members for giving good account of themselves.
In his acceptance speech, Adebiyi, said his exco would ensure politics of inclusion and work to ensure victory for the party in 2019 general elections.
Adebiyi, who assured that the new exco would obey the national leadership of the party, also said the party will be firm and not tolerate indiscipline, declaring “era of indiscipline is gone in Ogun APC”.
He noted that the peaceful conduct of the congress was a reflection of outstanding leadership of Gov. Amosun, adding that the party will continue to follow the leadership style of the governor.
In his remark, Amosun, commended the former executives for their hard-work, endurance and sacrifice.
He urged the new executive committee members to continue working towards making the party formidable ahead of next year’s general elections.
Earlier, a governorship aspirant in the party, Jimi Lawal, in a chat with journalists, expressed confidence that the congress would produce capable hands to steer the party to success in 2019.
Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, the former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State was re-elected, with 31 others emerging as new state leaders of the party.
The congress into 53 vacant positions of the party was conducted at the Indoor Hall of the Sani Abacha Stadium on Saturday.
The new party executives were sworn in by the Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Ibrahim Muktar shortly after the results were announced.
Prince Austin Nweke, the Chairman of the Kano Congress, while announcing the results said, “Abdullahi Abbas scored 3, 080 votes to emerge the chairman in accordance with the APC Congress’ Guidelines.”
He added that the Deputy Chairman of the party, Shehu Maigari scored 2,952 votes while the secretary of the party, Zakari Sarina, scored 2,817.
Other key state officials elected unanimously include Bashir karaye, Publicity Secretary; Habiba Yardalla, Women leader.
The event was witnessed by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje as well as some party leaders, including Sen. Kabiru Gaya and Sen Barau Jibril-Maliya from Kano North and Kano South senatorial districts.
Ganduje, who signed the swearing note alongside the newly elected chairman shortly after the leaders were sworn in, noted that the election was meant for 53 positions that needed to be filled.
“We give glory to God for giving us the opportunity to conduct it peacefully without any problem,” he said.
He said that the party would continue to remain united in Kano.
He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts in fighting corruption and insurgency in the country.
Ganduje promised to give President Buhari five million votes in 2019.
The newly elected Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Abass, thanked the governor for his diligent and pragmatic zeal in developing the state.
While commending members of the party for the confidence reposed in him, Abass assured that the new executive, under his watch, would take the party to greater heights.
He also called on the newly elected executives of the party to give necessary support and cooperation to the governor to ensure the success of the administration.
Delegates from the 44 local government areas of the state were at the congress.
APC members in Ebonyi State re-elected 31 members out 33 of its dissolved state executive committee in the congress held in Abakaliki.
The officials were re-elected through a consensus by the 980 delegates that participated in the congress.
In a unanimous voice vote put by the Chairman of the Congress Committee for the state, Chief Tony Odeh, the delegates affirmed the re-election of the 31 executive committee members.
But, the delegates cast ballots for the position of chairman of the party in the state, in which the Acting Chairman, Chief Eze Nwachukwu, defeated Mr Patrick Ngbebu, to become substantive chairman.
Nwachukwu polled 775 votes to secure victory over Ngbebu who polled seven votes.
Similarly, Mrs Marcellena Ugoeze scored 734 votes to defeat the incumbent Women Leader in the state, Mrs Tonia Awam who polled 26 votes.
Odeh noted that the congress opted for affirmation for the 31 returned state officials as provided for by the party in the congress guidelines because no other aspirant bought nomination forms for the posts.
Odeh commended the delegates and party leadership in the state for the successful exercise and their orderly conduct.
He urged members with grievances to channel same to Congress Appeal Panel, warning that complaints would only be entertained from members who participated in the state congress.
The Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; Chief Martin Elechi, former Governor of the state and Sen. Soni Ogbuoji were among delegates who participated in the peaceful exercise.
In Anambra, Mr Emeka Ibe was re-elected Chairman of the party through affirmative voice vote by the delegates in the congress held at Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka.
Mr Chukwudi Agupugo was also retained as the Secretary of the party in a consensus.
Mr Emmanuel Chinda, Chairman of the Congress Committee in the state, said major stakeholders of the party had earlier met to harmonise the positions.
He commended the delegates for peaceful exercise, in which other members of the executive committee of the party in the state were also returned opposed.
In his remarks, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said the resolution of party leaders was in the best interest of all members, adding that though it may not be the best, members would be happier.
In Akwa Ibom, Mr Ini Okopido emerged chairman through consensus in the congress held at Sheergrace Event Centre, Uyo.
Chairman of the Congress Committee, Alhaji Ahmed Ashemi, who announced the election of Okopido, also returned Mr Augustine Ekanem as Secretary-elect and Mr Edet Bassey as Publicity Secretary-elect in the peaceful congress.
Ashemi said the congress was conducted in line with the party’s Constitution and guidelines set for the exercise.
He commended the party stakeholders for their peaceful conduct and in adopting consensus in electing the officials.
