The ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) commenced in some local governments across Oyo State on Sunday, the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports.
NAN reports that the congress was only being carried out in wards where intending members had obtained their nomination forms on Saturday from the APC National Congress Committee led by Alhaji Musa Halilu-Ahmed.
As at the time of filing this report, the congress was ongoing in wards across Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso and Ibadan Zones.
At the Ward 9 Ibadan North Local Government Council congress which held at C&S New Eden Primary School, Mokola, members were sighted casting their votes while party officials monitored proceedings.
A NAN correspondent, who also visited the Ward 4 Ibadan North Local Government Council congress holding at CAC School, Oje-Igosun, reports that the exercise was going on peacefully.
Rep. Abiodun Olasupo(APC-Iseyin/Kajola/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa), who spoke to NAN on the sidelines of the exercise, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the congress in his constituency, saying there had been no hitches so far.
The congress earlier slated for Saturday was shifted to Sunday by the committee due to the initial violence recorded at the APC secretariat.
NAN reports that suspected hoodlums had invaded the stakeholders’ meeting holding at the secretariat, forcing the Halilu-Ahmed-led committee to shift the exercise to Sunday.
Halilu-Ahmed, who had insisted that an elective ward congress must hold as stipulated in the party’s constitution, shifted the congress after consulting with stakeholders.
He consequently distributed forms to intending members on presentation of tellers for the payment of the stipulated fee.
The committee chairman had stated that only intending members, who had paid the stipulated fee and obtained the forms, would participate in the congress.
There, however, seems to be a division in the state chapter of the APC as it was gathered that members loyal to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi did not pay the stipulated fee and did not obtain the nomination forms.