APC holds ward congress across 193 wards in Kwara

The Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday conducted its ward congress across all 193 wards in the state, with party officials describing the exercise as peaceful and orderly. The congress, which produced ward-level party executives, was monitored by the Screening and Appeals Committee from the party’s national secretariat. Reports from […]

The Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday conducted its ward congress across all 193 wards in the state, with party officials describing the exercise as peaceful and orderly.

The congress, which produced ward-level party executives, was monitored by the Screening and Appeals Committee from the party’s national secretariat.

Reports from Ilorin, the state capital, as well as Asa, Ekiti and Baruten local government areas indicated that the exercise was calm and largely rancour-free.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event at the party secretariat in Ilorin, the state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, said the new ward leaders emerged through affirmation.

“This is the ward congress of the party which takes place in all 193 wards in the state. So far so good, we have not heard any adverse reports. The idea behind affirmation is to make the exercise less rancorous,” Fagbemi said.

“It is an affirmative congress because our people are supposed to be carried on from where they are, but it is a constitutional responsibility of the party to go through the process.”

He added that the exercise signified unity within the party and expressed optimism about the APC’s prospects in future elections.

Chairman of the Congress Committee and Deputy Chairman of APC in the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari, said participants were screened before taking part in the exercise.

“So far so good, the report we are having is very encouraging. You cannot go to any affirmation without being screened. So, all the candidates have been screened by the party and they were found worthy to come back as APC executives at their respective wards. That is why we are having the affirmation taking place in the whole 193 wards in Kwara State,” Samari said.

Also speaking, Secretary of the Screening Committee, Oche Muhammed, said the list of aspirants was vetted ahead of the exercise.

“We were given a list of screened accredited party faithful who vied into various ward offices. Elections have been conducted peacefully in various ward centres. Already, we have received some results while we await other results,” he said.

In Ilorin West Local Government Area, the APC Chairman, Hon. Suleiman Tejidini, said reports from the 12 wards in the council indicated smooth conduct of the congress.

“We reaffirmed all our chairmen and other party executives. All the stakeholders, including the elders, women and youth took part. That is why we can see jubilation everywhere because it was a collective decision of all the relevant stakeholders,” Tejidini said.

The Chairman of Ilorin West Local Government, Alhaji AbdulRahman Babatunde Ladan, also described the congress as peaceful.

“There was no rancour among us as the exercise was only the reaffirmation of existing executives. We use this opportunity to thank our leader, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for creating an enabling environment for the exercise to take place peacefully,” he said.

Reports from the Southern and Northern Senatorial Districts of the state similarly indicated that the ward congress was conducted without major incidents.