Africa-Press – Nigeria. Controversy has erupted over the ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held on Wednesday across Delta State, as the exercise has divided party leaders.
Though the Secretary of the Committee overseeing the congresses in the state, Hon. Simon Chukwuemeka Atigwe, while addressing journalists at Ward 10 in Oshimili South Local Government Area after monitoring ward congresses across the three senatorial districts, described the process as smooth, calm and well-coordinated.
According to him, members of the committee toured several wards across Delta South, Delta Central, and Delta North senatorial districts without encountering any disputes or disruptions.
“As part of our assignment, we have been moving round the state to assess the situation on ground. From Delta South to Delta Central, and now here in Delta North at Ward 10, Oshimili South, what we have seen has been commendable.”
He noted that the committee interacted directly with party members and stakeholders in different wards and found the exercise peaceful, with no issues requiring intervention.
“There has been no cause for concern anywhere we visited. The process has been seamless and orderly,” Atigwe added.
He commended party faithful for their maturity, discipline, and impressive turnout, stating that the unity displayed during the congress reflects the growing strength of the APC in Delta State.
While the committee applauded party members for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the exercise across the state, other party faithful faulted him for allegedly manipulating the consensus arrangement.
Leaders of the Delta North APC Coalition for Equity alleged increasing marginalisation of long-standing members of the APC in the state following the defection of the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the rising influence of his political structure within the party.
Chairman of the coalition, Chief Alex Ikpeazu, and the Acting Secretary-General, Ken-Chad Rafua, alongside leaders of the old APC across local governments in the zone, emphasised that these developments have led to the exclusion of original stakeholders from important internal activities, including the drafting of consensus ward and LGA executive lists.
According to the coalition, new entrants leading various APC blocs in the wards have failed to invite foundational members to meetings where the so-called consensus lists were prepared, contrary to directives issued by the governor and the party’s state leadership.
They insisted that the lists presented by the new APC bloc were not genuinely consensus-driven and should therefore be completely disregarded in the interest of fairness.
They also expressed concern that members who purchased congress nomination forms have not been granted access to them, alleging that leaders of the new bloc were privately completing the forms for their loyalists, excluding founding members.
The party in the state unequivocally refuted allegations of a lack of transparency in the conduct of the ongoing ward congresses.
Valentine Onojeghuo, State Publicity Secretary of the APC, emphasised that the ward congress process has so far been conducted in strict compliance with the party’s constitution and established guidelines.
“These claims are entirely false, misleading, and appear calculated to create unnecessary discord within the ranks of our party. For the purpose of clarity, the party leadership states categorically that the consensus arrangement adopted for the ward congresses was carefully designed and implemented by key stakeholders and leaders across the various wards and senatorial districts.
“The objective of this approach is to promote unity, inclusiveness, and stability, while accommodating every shade of interest within the party. Contrary to allegations in circulation, the consensus framework does not exclude or marginalise any group of party members.
“Rather, it provides a balanced platform that harmonises the interests of long-standing loyal members and new entrants who have aligned with our party. This inclusive process is intended to strengthen internal cohesion, deepen grassroots participation, and position the party for greater effectiveness. It is a win-win situation for all members, both old and new.
“At every stage, the leadership has remained committed to fairness, transparency, and due process. Any suggestion that the exercise is vindictive or targeted at specific individuals is baseless and unsupported by facts.
“We view such unfounded allegations as an unfortunate attempt to distract from the successes so far recorded in the implementation of the consensus arrangements and the steady progress the party is making in consolidating its
structures across the state,” he stated.
For More News And Analysis About Nigeria Follow Africa-Press
