Congresses of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) had the footprints of a typical election in Nigeria. Irregularities, violence, imposition of candidates and other underhand dealings were alleged in the ward congresses of the APC across the country.
Expectedly, petitions by aggrieved candidates and their supporters
challenging the exercise are already flying to high heavens. The exercise which commenced on April 5in all the 8,816 wards across the country was a prelude to electing party leaders at the local government and state levels, before terminating with the national convention of the party slated for next month.Expectedly, petitions by aggrieved candidates and their supporters
Analysts were unanimous that the congresses which extended to Thursday, April 10th were a test case in the party’s quest to wrestle power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at all levels in 2015 elections. But many are already speculating that the shabby conduct of the exercise may be a minus for the party as the general elections draw nearer.
Weekly Trust observed that except in wards where consensus candidates emerged, the outcome of the exercise was not without rancor. For instance, reports from some of the wards in Lagos show that the congresses were marred by violent protests and outright withdrawal of party members from the exercise.
Fillers that the exercise would be marred by controversy in the 376 wards across the state became public knowledge barely 24 hours before the exercise, as a faction suddenly emerged within ranks of the party. The faction was led by the State Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), Chief Ajibade Emiabata.
The APC factional leader alleged that he and other chairmen of the defunct political parties (ANPP, APGA) that formed the merger were completely sidelined during the APC’s Stakeholders’ Forum. It held four days earlier at the party’s secretariat on Acme Road, Ikeja. Thus, he called on members of his faction across the state to boycott the ward congresses.
Although, the exercise was observed to be largely peaceful in Yaba, Agbado/Oke-odoand Egbe Idimu among others, but it was however a different scenario in Ifako-Ijaiye, Ojodu, Agege, Onigbongbo and Ikeja as well as scores of other places, it was alleged that certain individuals hijacked the exercise.
Apparently miffed by the crisis in his constituency, the deputy chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Finance who also represents Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency of Lagos state at the National Assembly, Otunba Abayomi Ogunlusi. He called for immediate cancellation of the congresses in some wards across the state.
Ogunlusi told a press briefing last Sunday, that except issues arising from the ward congresses are adequately resolved, there may be ‘unimaginable crisis’ within the state chapter of the party. He even urged the leadership to put on hold plans to conduct the local government congresses slated for April 15.
“The massive protests across most of the local government areas are aproof of the sham congresses held in the state. In my ward, Ward C inIfako-Ijaiye, the congress did not hold due to fights among members over allegations that some people wanted to manipulate the polls”, he said.
“I personally sent in a petition over it and will oppose any result issued from that ward or any other, where congress did not hold. The violence that trailed the congresses is a warning that the people are nolonger ready to accept rigging or manipulations of any form,” Ogunlusi said.
Also lamenting, Mr. Blessing Okere, a deputy governorship candidate in Lagos State in the 2011 general elections told newsmen that “the MOU for merging with ACN was not followed in the conduct of the congress”.
He cited his experience in Apapa-Iganmu where he alleged that out of the seven wards popularly called “G-7” in the Local Council Development Area; only four out of 26 positions were ceded to members of other legacy parties with the rest going to former members of the ACN.
“The wards have 26 positions and only four slots were given to other parties that merged with the CAN, while the ACN took 22 slots for themselves,” Okere said.
Perhaps, it was these unresolved grievances that prompted some aggrieved party members to storm the secretariat of the party situated along Acme Road, Ogba, on Monday in protest. Members from Agege, Onigbongbo, Ikeja, Ojodu, Ifako-Ijaiye, amongst others displayed various placards even as they demanded fresh congresses in their areas.
Led by one Adesanya Oluwaseyi, who claimed to be the APC youth leader, Ward D, Ikeja, the protesters alleged that thugs were sponsored by certain personalities to attack and maim some candidates and persons considered opposed to their candidature.
However, state Chairman of Congresses Committee, Dr. Garuba Abari, assured all aggrieved persons that their complaints would be looked into. He, however, ruled out the possibility of postponing the council congresses slated for today.
In Plateau State, consensus option ruled most of the council areas. The party said it adopted that option to prevent rancor, but it did occur in places that had to go the whole hug.
In Jos North, the congresses held only in Gangare ward. Other wards came up with consensus officials except two: Naraguta B, where the decision of venue was not reached and Jos Jarawa wards where resolutions were not reached on consensus.
At the Gangare Ward, the situation was rowdy following speculation by one of the aspirants that the electoral officials did not to follow election guidelines.
The aspirant who was contesting for the ward chairmanship of the party in Gangare, Shuaibu Hussaini complained that the electoral officials did not conduct accreditation to verify the authentic members of the party from the ward.
Hussaini accused his opponent of hiring voters from other wards. That allegation almost stalled the election but after intervention by some elders and youths at the arena, the election continued and Auwal Naaga emerged winner with 433 votes against 261 votes for Hussaini.
There were a few other wards across the state where elections did not hold mainly for lack of materials.
A member of the State Management Committee, Malam Nazif Ahmad said election materials for the congress in the state arrived Tuesday and many of the aspirants were unable to fill the forms and return them for the primaries. “This was the main reason the congresses experienced little hitches,” Nazif said.
Mr. Jock Alamba, a member of the interim national committee of the APC who commented on the resort to the consensus option said it was a sign of hope and understanding amongst party members in the state. “The unity demonstrated by party members, even among different factions is an indication of the strength of the party in the state; they have shown their faith in the ideal that party’s interest is above personal interest,” Alamba said.
He added “This was a message of disappointment to opponents of the APC that have been saying that the party would break up at the congresses.”
Meanwhile, APC congresses in Sokoto State recorded a huge success. The interim leadership of the party in the state had before the congresses met with all the stakeholders from the 23 local government areas. This was a step to ensure consensus was reached as regards to who should emerge as party official in the respective areas.
About 7,808 officials including five delegates emerged from the 244 wards of the state. The congresses were generally hitch-free and leaders emerged through consensus, but not until the representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) asked voters if the candidate was truly their choices by making them line-up behind each and every one of the candidates.
This was witnessed in Isa, Tangaza, Gudu, Wamakko, Tambuwal among other local government areas.
In Wamakko Local Government Area, Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko was captured queuing behind the elected chairman of the party in the area, Alhaji Buba Bawa and also behind the party’s Treasurer, Malam Bello Musa during the confirmation of the emerged candidates by INEC.
Shortly after the congress, Wamakko described the exercise as a “success” in view of it’s peaceful conduct and massive turn-out of party loyalists. He said it was an indication that the APC will form the next government in the state.
Unlike the situation in Sokoto, the outcome of the ward congresses in Gombe was trailed by controversy. The leader of a faction of the party in the state and member representing Gombe, Kwami and Funakaye federal constituency, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, has described the just concluded exercise as a sham.
HE told newsmen shortly after a stakeholders meeting in the state, Mailantarki that after reviewing the ward congresses and the circumstances it held, the stakeholders concluded that the congresses did not take place.
He said ideally, there would have been free and fair congresses at the ward level but to their surprise when they came to the venues on Saturday and waited for some time, they heard that results have already been announced elsewhere, “when forms were not even issued to us and none of the guidelines were followed.”
“The position we took at today’s meeting is that we have not seen any ward congress that took place in Gombe and we are calling the attention of the national leadership of the party to as a matter of urgency intervene by ordering the appropriate bodies to organized free and fair congresses from wards to the state level”, he appealed.
In Adamawa, the ward congresses held on Wednesday were peaceful, amidst complaints of rigging by some of the contestants.
Weekly Trust learnt that the complaints have been submitted to the Adamawa State Congress Committee headed by Senator Titus Olupitan who promised to look into them dispassionately with a view to addressing genuine grievances.
He disclosed that fresh congresses would be conducted in Shelleng Local Government Area after the committee is satisfied that election did not take place in the area.
A group of candidates from eight wards in Yola South Local Government Area also alleged results were forged despite the failure by election officials to show up or conduct elections in their respective wards. They have called on the congress committee to disregard any purported result from the affected wards.
In a petition signed by their lawyer, A.H. Turaki, the candidates threatened to “reject any result that may be announced as regard to the said congresses in respect of the wards herein mentioned and further pray that a convenient date for the congresses shall be fixed and conducted within a reasonable time for the sake of fair play and justice”.
The wards in question are Toungo, Bako, Makama B, Makama A, Namtari, Bole/Yolde, YoldeKohi and Ngurore wards in Yola South area.
Senator Olupitan had last Saturday told journalists that three interest groups had raised an alarm that some party chieftains might engage in dubious acts that could undermine the success of the election.
However, in Kano, the congresses could still not hold after it was rescheduled for last Wednesday, April 9, from Saturday. Dr. Mustapha Inuwa, Chairman of the Congresses Committee charged with the responsibility of overseeing the conduct of the exercise, gave late arrival of materials as reason for the shifting of the date to last Wednesday, but he did not give reasons why the congresses were moved to today.
Like in Kano, the exercise has also been shifted to today in Katsina State for what officials said were logistic problems.
Meanwhile the APC has come under attacks for crisis rocking its ward congresses across the country. The PDP has described the situation as a huge embarrassment to democracy.
The party said it was an irony that APC that daily claims to be on a mission to rescue Nigeria could not even conduct its own congresses. However, APC interim National Organizing Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso said, the party’s ward congresses remain a milestone which would position the party for greater success.
“The field report we are getting is very positive. There are 8,812 wards in the country. If you are conducting a congress you cannot expect a 100 percent success. It is impossible but so far, it has been a success,” he said.
Izunaso also allayed fears that the hiccups experienced in some places may likely affect the other rescheduled congresses, saying everything is being handled and that nothing will disrupt the conduct of congresses including the national convention slated for May.
No comments:
Post a Comment