APC Congress in Akwa Ibom and Rivers end in fiasco



The All Progressives Congress (APC) congress slated for today Saturday July 29, 2017 has cancelled. The cancellation is the consequence of a court case instituted by the interim leadership of the party in Akwa Ibom state against the Amadu Atai led executive.

Court documents made available to the Globalnewsreel indicates that Suit no VA/31/2017 is slated for Monday July 31, 2017. There are 9 Claimants/Applicants suing for themselves and on behalf of more than 2500 other APC members in the state who endorsed the dissolution of the former executive before setting up the interim leadership led by Obong Mitchel George.

The 7 listed Defendants/Respondents representing the entire Dr Amadu Atai group are: (1) Dr Amadu Atai (2) Elder Emmanuel Udo (3) Mr Effiong Eton (4) Bassey Eshiet (5) Okon Edet Owoifak (6) Mrs Magdalene Akpabio and the All Progressives Congress as the 7th.

Apparently, the planning for the congress was shrouded in secrecy until about Two weeks ago when majority of the members got wind of it from unofficial sources. According to most members who responded to our inquiries, lamenting that 'at no time did the National or the Amadu Atai group who were working in active connivance with some elements in the Abuja office ever issued a press release, announcing or publicly declaring that congress is holding to members spread across the entire state.
Rather they went round collecting #5000 from Ward chairmen, #1000 from members of Ward Exco, while chapter chairmen parted with #10000 in order to be made delegates.'

Speaking in like manner, a member of the party from Etim Ekpo who simply gave his name as Udoudo said 'as at yesterday (Friday July 28) members had no knowledge of the venue'. Our correspondent report that while the Amadu Atai group segmented the congress for the 3 Senatorial Districts of Uyo, Eket and Ikot Ekpene informing only few loyal inner circle members, some information had filtered out. It was on the basis of it that the largest group with most followers opted for legal action.

There was drama yesterday as the Bailiff of the court attempted to effect service on the Respondents after almost 6hours search. We reliably learnt "the former secretary - Mr Effiong Etok initially refused to accept service as other defendants towed his position before settling to accept it after much argument.

Our correspondent who monitored the crises through out the night said response to the voluminous court processes was suspicion as to the source of leakage, followed by anger and shouts of "let's go ahead with the congress, there's nothing Udoedehe will do, we have taken over the party," before a high level "all night" meeting with more than 3 lawyers in attendance; and the 5 national officers for the congress who arrived Uyo yesterday in a mid-afternoon flight accompanied by Amadu Atai in attendance who were also spotted in Don Etiebet house throughout the night.

After lengthy discussions with different views our correspondent learnt they leaned towards going ahead with the exercise assuring the national officers that they will be protected.
They asked them to act as though they were not aware while conducting the congress in the face of the court action.

Again, members of the Amadu Atai group were adviced to remain in their hotel rooms to monitor the events, raising questions of the credibility of such exercise where no single state exco member, whether deposed or interim, is present.

Before now, the Amadu Atai group had had sought police protection some two weeks earlier before the court action. With the police and DSS duly notified of the pendency of the court action, the responsibility, in event of a breakdown of public peace, has shifted to security agencies.

Meanwhile, the proof of service is in the courts.

Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe has raised alarm over alleged manipulation of the delegate list of his All Progressive Congress, APC in Rivers state by some party leaders, saying the state Congress that should have produced the delegates today did not hold.
Abe who spoke at the state secretariat of the party on Forces Avenue, old GRA, Port Harcourt, said the committee delegated by the national secretariat of the party to monitor the exercise in the state ended up at a hotel in the state .
“Well as you can see there has been no Congress in the state. The so called stakeholders meeting in the state on Friday ended in a fiasco. The committee from the national have not come to the party’s secretariat on Forces Avenue since morning yet people have been here waiting for
Nobody should stay in a hotel and use any list for Rivers people.
It is clear there was no Congress in the state. What ever has been done will not stand “, he said.
Follow our updates as the drama unfolds.

APC is sick

NA WA OO

APC faction hold non elective congress in Bayelsa ON JULY 29, 20176:10 PMIN NEWSCOMMENTS By Samuel Oyadongha YENAGOA – THE Chief Tiwe Orunimighe led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Saturday held a non elective congress to clear 24 delegates from the eight local government area of the state. But the Joseph Faf faction loyal to the former state governor, Chief Timipre Sylva was absent during the exercise. The congress was held at the state party secretariat in Yenagoa. ‎The delegates were selected through affirmation following consensus by all the local government chapters of the party. Party faithful affirmed the nominees presented to the congress committee through voice votes. The Secretary of the committee, Mrs. Mildred Ezoh, who came from the National Secretariat of the party said the congress was either through elections or affirmation as recommended by the constitution of the party. She said the committee’s job was simplified by the decision of the party members in the state to adopt affirmation. “We came from Abuja for this exercise and we be done what we are supposed to do. It is either by election or affirmation. I have been directed to conduct this election”, she said. The state Chairman of the party, Chief Tiwe Oruminighe, described the exercise as peaceful and devoid of rancour. He said the leadership of the party at the local government areas consulted widely with all the stakeholders before submitting their lists adding that they were required to present only three delegates from each council. He said the exercise was devoid of crisis because the consultations that produced the lists were far-reaching. Apart from the 24 delegates, he said the state had other statutory delegates that would participate in the convention of the party. He said: “Today is our local government delegate congress. The exercise was smooth. We had no hitches. The only place where we had small disagreement was in Ekeremor. But the disagreement was resolved.” Some of the party members described the congress as peaceful and commended the electoral committee and the APC chairman for the success of the exercise. The congress was monitored by about 12 officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the Yenagoa office of the commission.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/07/apc-faction-hold-non-elective-congress-bayelsa/