August 1,2021
Chieftains defect to PDP in Benue
Ogun denies parallel exercise
*No election in Bayelsa
By Our Reporters
THE ward congresses of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, were marred by protests, violence yesterday, as the party chose its ward executives via consensus across the country.
Though largely peaceful, there were pockets of violence in some states just as Ogun State witnessed parallel congressss and emergence of parallel ward executives.
But the Chairman of Ogun APC Ward Congress Committee, Wale Onu, declared there was no parallel election of party executives in the 236 wards in the state.
The congresses were peaceful in Kano, Imo, Plateau, Edo, Borno and Nasarawa among other states.
One feared dead, several
others injured in Ekiti
Violence characterized the ward congresses of the APC held in Ekiti State, as one person was feared killed and many others injured.
Party faithful as early as 8am trooped out to the ward centers for the election while the voting process did not start until 12noon when the Ward Congress Committee from the national secretariat started distributing election materials.
Multiple sources told newsmen that the deceased who was simply identified as Jide was stabbed to death after violence erupted in Ado Ward 10 after the congress was said to have been concluded.
Sources who were at the venue of the Ward 10 congress, which took place at the pavilion close to Fajuyi, said, “ After the congress was concluded, the boys who are on drugs had disagreement among themselves and before you know it, it turned to free for all.
“ Jide was stabbed and rushed to the General Hospital where he was confirmed dead. This is unfortunate and uncalled for, because it is a mere ward congress.”
It was gathered that the violent clash couldn’t have been unconnected with the disagreement over the mode of the Congress, while the loyalists of the governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi rooted for consensus arrangement across the 177 wards, the other faction who were mostly members of the South West Agenda 2023 (SWAGA) resisted this move and insisted on election.
This development in some of the wards led to widespread violence across the state as thugs were allegedly unleashed on the people with many sustaining injuries and vehicles destroyed.
In Ado-Ekiti ward 8, thugs unleashed mayhem on party members and disrupted the process. Many of the injured members are receiving medical attention in one of the private hospital in the state capital.
Also in Ado-Ekiti, there was violence in Ward 4 and 8 as thugs went on rampage to disrupt the voting process.
The chairperson of Ado local government, Mrs Omotunde Fajuyi who participated in the congress in Ward 10 said the process was peaceful and devoid of any violence.
Fajuyi said, “ As you aware today, Ward 10 congress was peaceful during the congress and we had only one person who contested for ward chairmanship position, and was elected unopposed.
“ The process went peacefully and nobody had any cause to fight but we were told some persons had disagreement later after we left the place and one of them is dead. As I speak with you now, I am going to the hospital.
Speaking on the ward congress, the state chairman of SWAGA, Senator Tony Adeniyi decried the widespread violence which marred the process, saying that there was no congress in the state.
According to him, “ There was no election today in Ekiti because there was no accreditation across the wards. The Fayemi Tokan Tokan people manipulated the process and prevent people from voting for their prefer leaders, especially SWAGA members.
“ I can confirm to you that there was violence in Ikere-Ekiti, virtually all the wards in Ado-Ekiti we had violence and several people wounded and also in Ward 10, someone was killed. Is that how to do a congress ? “
On his part, a chieftain of the party and governorship aspirant, Chief Reuben Famuyibo, lamented that the politicians failed democracy in the state with the level of violence which characterised the ward congress.
Famuyibo, an elder statesman, who explained that he would address journalists in coming days on the process, said, “ As predicted by me on Friday, there was no election today,what you see is thugs moving around the wards.
“ The blood of any citizens does not worth my ambition. When I got to the ward today, i returned home, this is not democracy and our politicians have not learnt any election and it is unfortunate. We await what the national secretariat will do it.”
However, the party spokesman, Ade Ajayi, denied the allegations by the leaders on the process of the congress, saying every members of the were allowed to participate in congress.
“ I can tell you that nobody was deprived from the congress today (Saturday) and it is our hope that it will be an acceptable one by the stakeholders. It is blatant lie to say that people were deprived, people participated in the process.”
Protest, violence mar exercise in Osun
In Osun State, while the congresses were held peacefully in some wards, there were protest and violence in other wards over mode of conduct
The Congress Committee from the National Secretariat in the state, headed by Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye monitored the congress at Isedo ward, Ila Orangun, where Chief Bisi Akande was said to be indisposed.
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