Peaceful congress in Abia, Nwankpa re-elected chairman

• Apugo commends Kalu

Olunkwa Felix (Umuahia); Okey Sampson (Aba)

All Progressives Congress (APC) Abia state chapter yesterday held a peaceful congress at Umuahia Township Stadium.

The congress which attracted 1,150 delegates from across the 17 local government areas of the state was supervised by the five-man committee led by Sen. Jonathan Zwingina. The congress saw Hon. Donatus Nwankpa emerging as the chairman, Chief Ogumka Adiele (Deputy chairman), Perfect Okorie (Secretary), Comrade Godson Offor Okorie as State Auditor, Dr. Mrs. Ori Obasi as state woman leader, among others, through a voice vote.

In his acceptance speech, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa on behalf of other elected officers of the party promised members of the party and prospective aspirants a level playing ground, stressing that the journey towards winning the governorship and other elective positions in the state had just begun.

“We assure you that with the responsibility placed on our shoulders come 2019, APC will take over the mantle of leadership in Abia State.

“We are going to choose the best. We are not going to undermine our chances by making wrong choices. For the party, this new mandate will be a new challenge. We will inject new energy, new capacity.

“We are going to show our willingness and capacity and ability to take this party to the next level.”
Party chieftains who witnessed the exercise include Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Comrade Chris Akomas, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka, Chief Sam Nkire (APC BoT member), Hon. Acho Obioma, Chief Nyerere Anyim, former Abia Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike, Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah and Chief Benjamin Kalu.

Earlier in his speech, the chairman of the congress committee, Sen. Zwingina commended the delegates for their peaceful conduct and maturity, stressing that the congress held at the Umuahia township stadium was legitimate and upheld by the national leadership of the APC.
The Sen. Zwingina-led committee was equally applauded by stakeholders of the party for the successful conduct of the state congress.

The duo of Chief Chris Akomas, former deputy governor of Abia state and Chief Sam Nkire, APC BoT member who spoke with newsmen after the congress stated that the APC was poised to wrest power from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the state, adding that the APC would bring on board new ideas to restore the lost glory of the state.
Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia, Apugo said he was happy that despite the efforts by a few to create disunity in the party in the state, the congresses went on smoothly without violence from ward to the state levels.

“As one of the leaders of the party in the state, I owe it a duty to thank all those who made the congress successful in Abia State despite efforts of some disgruntled people who wanted to make it look as if APC is divided in the state.

”It is a thing of joy that the congresses were held in the state without any form of thuggery or violence. With the successful congress, the party is now poised to take over the state come 2019”, Apugo said.

He congratulated Nwankpa and other members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party. While urging them to carry everybody along in the task ahead for the success of the party, Apugo promised to give them the necessary support that will make them succeed.

He commended the leaders of the party in the state including former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu for their efforts in ensuring the success of the congresses and urged them not to relent for the party to make progress.

….Ebonyi peaceful too

Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki

Ebonyi State APC state congress was generally peaceful, although some members of the party allegedly loyal to a chieftain of the party (name withheld) wanted to disrupt the exercise. But security agents at the venue quickly brought the situation under control.

The state congress was held at Nkwegu Ugbala Arena located along old Enugu Road, Abakaliki, and was supervised by Chief Tony Odeh, who led the five-man State Congress Committee of the party.
Accreditation of 980 congress delegates commenced about 10am. The delegates were drawn from the 171 wards and 13 local government areas of the state.
Out of the 33 positions, only the position of state chairman and Woman Leader were contested as 30 others had single candidates.

A contestant for the position of youth leader, Mr Eruogu Joseph stepped down for Mr Benjamin Mkpuma.
Acting Chairman of the party in the state, Pastor Eze Nwachukwu and Patrick Mgbebu, a lawyer, contested for the position of state chairman while the battle for the position of Woman Leader was between Mrs Ugoeze Uburu and Mrs Tonia Awam, a legal practitioner.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, former governor of the state, Chief Martin Elechi; the senator representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji and other topnotch members of the party participated in the exercise.

Taraba in controversial delegate list

Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo

The Taraba State congress was suspended indefinitely as key stakeholders disagreed with the Appeal Committee over the delegate list for the congress.

Chairman of the committee, Gen Danjuma Danbazzau made the announcement after a brief burst of tension that almost resulted into an all-out fight among the party stakeholders at the Jolly Nyame Stadium in Jalingo yesterday.
Explaining the reason for the suspension, Danbazzau told journalists: “We were sent here with a list of delegates from the party headquarters for the conduct of this exercise but discovered on reaching here that the list was doctored. And so we had to depend on INEC to generate a new authentic list, only for some of the actors to come and display this show of shame, calling us all sorts of names. It is unfortunate.”

However, major stakeholders including some of the governorship aspirants insisted that the delegates list issued by the party headquarters was the only list that was valid for the exercise.

Commenting on this, the National President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Bobboi Kaigama, who is a governorship aspirant said: “INEC was only observers and could not have generated a more authentic list than the delegation that actually conducted the congresses. This congress can only go on if the list issued by the party headquarters is used.”

Another aspirant, Chief David Sabo Kente, accused the delegate appeal committee of conspiracy to rig the process. Kente said that the stakeholders had asked the committee to display the delegate list ahead of the congress so that everyone would know their status before the exercise but they refused only for them to come up with a list that they have also agreed is not from the headquarters. “What card are they playing?” Kente queried.

Parallel congress in Zamfara

Fred Itua

Surajo Garba, has emerged as the Zamfara State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The factional state executives are loyal to Senator Kabiru Marafa.

A statement issued to newsmen in Abuja by chairman of the congress committee, Abdulqadir Mohammad Gusau, said Surajo emerged at the end of the state congress yesterday.

He said Rabiu Emir, Bello Soja, Nafisa Ahmed and Shehu Ibrahim, emerged as state youth leader, publicity secretary, woman leader and state secretary of APC Zamfara chapter respectively.
He said 26 other persons emerged for other positions at the end of the congress.

Gusau urged the new party leaders to carry everybody along and work towards uniting the party ahead of 2019 General elections.
Leader of the group, Senator Marafa, urged the camp of Governor Abdulaziz Yari to join hands with the newly formed executives to move Zamfara State forward.

Marafa who chairs the Senate committee on Petroleum (Downstream), advised the governor that impunity and lawlessness will not take anybody anywhere.

He charged the new executives to unite and reposition the party to win the upcoming general elections.

Kaduna affirms 36 officials

Noah Ebije, Kaduna

Newly elected Kaduna APC Chairman, Air Commodore Emmanuel Jakada (retd.) and 35 others emerged yesterday through consensus.

All members of the party present at the Trade Fair Complex in Kaduna metropolis for the congress affirmed the consensus via loud voice vote.

However, the embattled factional group of the party led by Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North) and Senator Shehu Sani (Central) were nowhere near the venue of the congress. Also, there was no report of them holding any parallel congress in the state.

Ogun peaceful as Amosun’s SSA emerges chairman

Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The Senior Special Adviser, Political Affairs to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Chief Derin Adebiyi, yesterday emerged as the chairman of the state executive of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State.

The state congress of the party, which was peaceful, also produced the erstwhile state chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Ogun State and the immediate senatorial chairman, Ogun West, Bashiru Fadayiro and Patrick Ogunde as deputy state chairman and secretary respectively.

A veteran journalist and former media aide to former Governor Olusegun Osoba, Wole Elegbede, equally, emerged as the Publicity Secretary.

Announcing the result at the conclusion of the exercise, the chairman of the congress committee, Reverend Peter Obadan, disclosed that a total of 1,749 delegates from 20 local governments in the state, were accredited and participated in the state congress. He said out of the total votes cast, 18 were voided.

In his remarks, the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, commended the outgone executive for their hard work and sacrifice. He urged the new exco to continue working towards making the party formidable ahead of next year general elections.

Two parallel executive councils in Oyo

Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State deepened yesterday as the party held parallel state congresses and produced two parallel executive councils at the end of the congresses.
One of the congresses was held at the main bowl of Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan by members of the party that are loyal to the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, while the other one was held at the main bowl of Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, under the leadership of Minister of Communication, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu.
Sunday Sun gathered that the implosion in the state chapter of the party became evident in the past two weeks when the party’s ward and local government congresses were held. Two groups within the party, SENACO (an acronym for Senator Ajimobi Campaign Organisation) and Lamist, otherwise known as APC Unity Forum, have engaged in battle of wits towards being in control of the soul of the party in the state.

Those at the Lekan Salami Stadium included the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala; former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin; Chairman Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Crime, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on ICT, Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, and some of his colleagues that included a son of Alaafin of Oyo, Akeem Adeyemi, Dada Awoleye, Segun Odebunmi, Jide Olatubosun; a legal luminary, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN); and former deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chief Bayo Adelabu; former commissioners for finance and health, Chief Zaccheaus Adelabu, and Dr. Babalola Owolabi.

In C’River heavyweights boycott exercise

Judex Okoro, Calabar

Crisis rocking APC in Cross River has continued unabated as some party major stakeholders boycotted the state congress held yesterday at Cultural Centre, Calabar.

Those absent at the venue of the state congress included the South-South Zonal Vice Chairman, Mr Hilliard Etta, Special Adviser to the President Buhari on Prosecution, Bar Obono Obla, Senator John Owan Eno, representing Cross River central and Chief Clement Ebri, former governor of the state.

Other stakeholders absent are some former party officers, including the Vice chairman, Cletus Obun, former deputy chairman, John Ochalla, Hon Pual Ada, Barr Utum Eteng and Alex Egbuna.
But in a peaceful congress presided over by the Chairman of the Congress Committee, Hon Useni Adamu, the voice vote electoral system was adopted in electing the state executives.

Hon. Adamu, said they were in the state to conduct a transparent and fair election for new officers in the state party.

It was observed that only three positions including deputy chairman and  deputy treasure had contestants while the rest emerged unopposed, including the state chairman.