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The ward congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held on Saturday in states across the country were a mixed bag of outcomes – largely successful in some areas in Ogun, Enugu and Katsina but marred by violence and controversy in Oyo, Delta, Rivers, Imo and other areas.
Even though the party could claim success on the overall scale, the violence and confusion were too obvious to be ignored.
Delta
A chairmanship aspirant in the state, Jeremiah Oghoveta, was stabbed to death moment before the exercise got under way. Oghoveta was aspiring to lead a ward in Ughelli South. Reports said he was allegedly stabbed in the neck by one Tete during an argument over the hijack of electoral materials.
Apart from the violence, parallel congresses held in some wards while the process was peaceful in some other wards.
Oyo
Armed thugs invaded the state party secretariat, manhandling Natiobal Assembly members from the state.
The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu; Senator Monsurat Sumonu; a governorship aspirant of the party in the state, Adeolu Akande; and other members of the National Assembly had to leave the venue for the state Police Command Headquarters in Eleyele area of Ibadan to report the matter.
Even though Governor Abiola Ajimobi appealed for peace stressing that leaders of the party would always be united for the success of the party, House of Representatives member, Hon Dapo Lam-Adesina, son of a former governor in the state, Lamidi Adesina, was allegedly manhandled by unidentified persons when the meeting reconvened.
Shittu, Lam-Adesina and Sumonu had alleged that the attackers were individuals loyal to Ajimobi.
Their accusation was countered by the secretary of the party in the state, Mojeed Olaoya, who said in a statement he signed on behalf of the party that Shittu stormed the venue with 150 armed miscreants to unleash terror on members and disrupt the meeting.
Lagos
Violence also broke out in Ajegunle and Isolo. A party member was killed during the congress at Ajegunle in Ifelodun Local Council Development Area of the state. The victim, who was injured on the head, died on the way to the hospital.
An eyewitness said he was attacked by thugs sponsored by a politician in the area. A video of the incident showed the victim lying on ground in a pool of blood.
There was also violence at the ward in Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA). Hoodlums, wielding guns, knives, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, soon hijacked the exercise and descended on delegates many of whom were left injured.
The party secretariat situated at Onawale Street, Isolo was vandalized by the hoodlums and congress officials chased out of the building.
Imo
Governorship aspirants on the party’s platform in the state clashed while thugs, weilded dangerous weapons invaded and vandalized the state secretariat where the congress committee was billed to address stakeholders.
The hoodlums beat up party officials who were waiting at the secretariat
The Secretary of the APC Convention Committee and Senator representing Imo North, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, alleged that Governor Rochas Okorocha had wanted to stop the congress from taking place.
Some of the party stakeholders loyal to the governor insisted that the congress would not continue without the sensitive materials.
The Convention Committee members had earlier been whisked to the State Police Headquarters from the Government House on the directive of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike.
Rivers
In Rivers, supporters of the senator representing Rivers South-East senatorial district in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, protested on major streets of Port Harcourt to condemn the exercise.
Abe, who is also a governorship aspirant, in a statement, said there was no ward congress in the 344 wards of the 23 local government areas in Rivers State.
He said there was no stakeholders’ meeting before the scheduled congress as promised by the leadership of the APC in the state. He accused the party’s leadership of going against the guidelines of the exercise by allowing contestants to pick forms on the day of the ward congress.
Ondo
In Ondo, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Sunday Abegunde, and the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Mr. Jacob Adebo, were fingered in the alleged irregularities and violence.
Abegunde and Adebo allegedly led members of the NURTW, to some centres in various wards in Akure South Local Government Area of the state, to chase out some delegates who were not loyal to him.
Bauchi
A faction of the party in Bauchi State believed to be loyal to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, alleged that there was a ploy by the state Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, to deny candidates not loyal to him from participating in the exercise.
Ekiti
The governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State ended inconclusive on Saturday following incidents of violence and ballot box snatching.
Voting kicked off smoothly until delegates of some other governorship aspirants suddenly raised the alarm that the Minister of Mines and Steel, Kayode Fayemi, who is also an aspirant, was breaching the rules without any caution from the organisers.
The agents alleged that the process had been compromised due to some practice allegedly introduced by delegates voting for Mr Fayemi.
The agents immediately disrupted the process, forcing security agents to cordon off the voting area. There was sporadic shooting and the exercise eneded in chaos and confusion.
A total of 33 aspirants are seeking to clinch the party’s ticket for the governorship election slated for July 14. Two former governors and three former senators are among the aspirants.