Controversy trails Ondo APC congresses as leaders seek cancellation

Efforts to elect officers for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Owo Local government area of Ondo state have suffered a major setback as party leaders in the area have called for the cancellation of the congresses held in their jurisdiction, describing it as a sham.

The leaders, in a statement released in Akure, the state capital, at the weekend, claimed to have met with some major stakeholders of the party at the Lagos residence of the national leader, Bola Tinubu, where it was agreed that the only solution to the logjam was the cancellation of the congresses and conduct of another to elect the party officers.

According to the aggrieved leaders, it was resolved at the meeting also attended by the State Coordinator of the party, Pius Akinyelure, that a fresh ward and local government congresses be held to replace the manipulated ones in the interest of the party.

The statement was jointly signed by Olatokunbo Ajasin, Jumoke Anifowose, Jamiu Ekungba and Akin Akinsehinwa-Awodeyi while the APC Leader, Bola Hamed Tinubu; the Interim National Chairman, Bisi Akande; the Interim National Secretary, Tijani Musa Tumasah; Pius Akinyelure; the state Resident Electoral Officer for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Akin Orebiyi; the Director of State Security Service, among others, were copied.

“Following complaints and irregularities that trailed the Elections of Party Executives at the Wards and Local government of Owo, Ondo State, the undersigned registered members of APC at Owo held a meeting with the National leader of APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and coordinator for Ondo APC, Chief Pius Akinyelure in Lagos on Wednesday 16th April, at his residence in Lagos.

“The conclusion of the meeting was the directive of the National Leader that the congress be cancelled as the party’s guidelines were not followed,” the statement read in part.

According to the leaders, the resolution of the meeting had been communicated to the Chairman, APC Congress Committee for Ondo State, Femi Pedro, and the governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN.

Earlier, the 11 ward chairmen of the party in the local government have conveyed a similar protest to the APC Interim National Chairman, calling for the cancelation of the congresses and holding of another in the interest of peace.

“In order to have a peaceful congress the leaders and elders of the party came together and call for fresh congress as stipulated in the guidelines of the party”.

“That if the National Leader want peace and hope to win election in Ondo State, a new congress should be arranged from Wards to Local Government under an unbiased congress committee chairman,” they said in the letter.