The national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives (APC) has warned against any planned parallel congress in the Ogun State Chapter of the party on Saturday, declaring that, the only approved congress is scheduled to hold at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta.
Penpushing reports that the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the party Hon. Wale Ohu, made this clear on Friday during a press conference held at the party’s secretariat located at Iyana mortuary in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The Chairman briefing journalists after the screening of all aspirants seeking election into various state party offices in the State, emphaised that only the elections held inside the main bowl of the Stadium in Abeokuta will be regarded as valid State Congress election in Ogun State.
“I have the mandate of the National Secretariat of the party to vet, screen and conduct the Ogun State congress of the APC. No other election is valid, except the one my committee of 7 sent by the National headquarters of the party”, he stated
“You will recall that we had conducted Ward and Local Government Congresses in this State before. The outcome of the congresses were subjected to appeal and subsequently validated and upheld by the CCECP of the party;, Ohu added.
“For emphasis, tomorrow’s Congress of the APC will hold at MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, not anywhere else. Any other purported or supposed election is therefore a nullity,” he stressed.
Penpushing further reports that, Ohu, said the clarification became necessary because he had been inundated with calls, text messages and physical enquiries over the exercise and insinuations that some other persons are planning to have another election.
‘It cannot be. Any other one other than the one we are conducting is anti-party because we have all the materials: congress eligibility register, ballot papers and boxes, result sheets, party seal and authority. No other person or group of person has the CCECP to conduct any election or congress in Ogun State tomorrow”, he declared
Penpushing also reports that, he emphaised that his committee has invited security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the exercise, and equally enjoined party faithful to conduct themselves with decorum and peacefully throughout the exercise.
The chairman to further buttress authenticity of the committee introduced all the 7-member team from the party headquarters in Abuja who were saddled with the responsibility to conduct the Congress in Ogun State and assured all party members of a credible free, fair and transparent process
Penpushing reports that he explained that participants at the congress will include five delegates elected at the ward congress held on July 31st, 2021 as ratified by the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the party.
‘Others expected at the Congress besides those elected at the ward congress include statutory delegates as stipulated in the party’s constitution and the guidelines for the congress’, Ohu added.
‘The statutory delegates comprise of members of Trustees from the State, State Chairman and members of the State Executive Committee, State Governor and his deputy; all serving and past members of the National Assembly who are members of the party; all serving and past members of the State House of Assembly who are members of the party; all elected local government area chairmen, their deputies and councilors who are elected into the 20 LGA who are members of the party’, he said.
Penpushing further reports that, Ohu disclosed that,the rest are chairmen and secretaries of the party in the local government areas; and members of the Zonal Executive Committee from the State, adding that political appointees, if not elected as delegates, may however attend as observers.
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