{VIDEO-PICs} APC LG Congress: Loyalists hold congress, ignore party’s consensus in Kano

All Progressives Congress (APC), in Kano on Saturday, conducted a parallel local government congress, ignoring the party’s consensus agreement.

Solacebase reports that the party’s congress were conducted and new elected executives emerged across local governments in the state. Among which were Tofa, Rimin-Gado, Dawakin-Tofa (Gov. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje LG) and Municipal, among others.

Observation at Salanta primary school, Sharada in Municipal, where one of the congresses held indicated a large turnout of party loyalists. Similar congresses held in other local government areas went peaceful, a party loyalist told Solacebase.

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Recalls that the Abdullahi Abbas led APC caretaker committee chairman recently held a stakeholder meeting at the instance of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje where it resolved to settle for consensus candidates for the leadership of the party at the local government level.

Dissatisfied with the internal arrangement, however, members of APC Buhari Support Organization led by Alhaji Shehu Dalhatu opted for congress where 27 executive members emerged at each of the local government areas.

Addressing journalists at Tofa Local Government after the conduct of the exercise, the member representing Tofa, Dawakin Tofa and Rimingado Federal Constituency, Alhaji Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe said the party has conducted a democratic election.

He vehemently kicked against what he considered as a selfish agreement of few powerful members in a democratic setting.

“You don’t hold party election in your room or in government owned building (Govt House). You have to go back to the people, let them decide what they want. Every member of the party has to be part of the system.

“Once you ask people not to participate, that means we do not have democracy. And what we have been championing is the course of democracy.

“So what we are doing is to let the people decide for themselves and not what we want. So what we have done is to allow the people to decide for all of us and with that we know we are on sound footing. What we did was not affirmation but election,” Jobe said.

Also reacting to the congress, the member representing Kano Municipal federal constituency, Hon. Shaaban Ibrahim Sharada insisted that local government congress was held across the 44 local government areas.

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Sharada who is also the chairman house committee on National Security and Intelligence declared that members of the Buhari Support Organization from across the 44 LG purchased forms and conducted election.

“I am happy with the fact that the people came out en masse to exercise their rights because I am sure that the election took place in all the 44 LGAs. Because party members under the Buhari Support Organization, BSO led by Alhaji Shehu Dalhatu purchased the forms and were allowed to exercise their rights.

“We would not succumb to situation where few clique of people would now decide for the majority of the party members,” Sha’aban said.

Although the situation of the congress in Nasarawa, Tarauni, Dala, Kura, Kumbotso and Bichi local governments visited by our correspondent indicated that consensus agreement were adopted.

Reacting to the development, the Secretary of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Zakari Sarina said the exercise went smoothly and there was no election.

He said “it was agreed by the stakeholders last week at a meeting presided over by the Governor to adopt consensus arrangement. As far as the party (caretaker committee) is concerned, no local government held any election.

“Even the representatives from the National headquarters said they went to Tofa, Municipal, Sumaila and about seven local government and they witnessed that (affirmation). Nobody held any gathering in the name of election. If there is anyone, we will know,” Sarina noted.