No parallel congress in Ogun – Committee chair declares
The Chairman of the Ogun State Ward Congress Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Wale Ohu, has declared that there was no parallel election of party executives into the 236 wards throughout the state.
Ohu, who gave this declaration on Saturday evening while briefing newsmen at Ogun State Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Iyana Mortuary, Abeokuta, equally submitted that the ward congress was conducted throughout the state without any hitch.
He insisted that there was no parallel congress conducted anywhere in the state.
Ohu said, “nobody will try a parallel congress in the APC because the party gave a clear directive and anyone who tries that is engaging in anti-party activity and it is null and void.
“So we never expected any reasonable and loyal party member to even think of any parallel congress, so there was none”.
The Committee chairman stated further that “the turnout of members at the stakeholders’ meeting was an evidence of what we saw today. Anyone who is a gladiator in APC in the state was at the stakeholders forum and there was no dissenting view. All of them spoke commonly that they were ready to work together with us to have a hitch-free congress and that was what we had today”.
He disclosed that on arrival in the state some days ago, his committee had, apart from convening a stakeholders meeting, also screened candidates, carried out training for officials used in conducting the congress, as well as put other modalities in place to ensure a rancour free congress.
He added that the ward congress started at about 9a.m on Saturday morning, with Committee members moving round to monitor the conduct of the congress in the three senatorial sistricts, adding that the exercise monitored by the Independent National Electorial Commission (INEC) officials was free and fair with massive turnout.
“I can say with all sense of responsibility that today’s Ward Congress in Ogun State is one of the freest congresses conducted anywhere in this country. The turnout was massive. The process was rancour free in all the 236 wards. It is an indication that the party is well grounded in Ogun”, Ohu submitted.
The Committee Chairman hinted that they were in the State on the authority of the national headquarters, to unite the party as a divided house could not stand, added that with the successful conclusion of the Congress, it was believed that the exco of party at the grassroots, would work to make the party even stronger.