Aggrieved APC stakeholders insist ward Congress did not hold in 12 council wards in Benue

From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

Some aggrieved elders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress APC, in Gwer-East Local Government Area of Benue State have complained about the failure of the Party to conduct ward congresses in 12 out of the 14 Council Wards of the local government.

The stakeholders, in a petition to the Appeal Panel set up by the national secretariat of the Party and made available to newsmen on Sunday lamented that through the machination of some interested aspirants, congress did not hold in most of the council wards because electoral materials arrived late or did not arrive at all.

They also alleged that several party members who dared to speak against injustices done them were either beaten by thugs loyal to some interested individuals or were practically removed from the Congress venues.

The aggrieved party stakeholders therefore called for a cancellation of the purported ward congresses in the 12 council wards of Mbayom, Mbaiase/Mbakine, Aliade/Mbalav, Ikyonov, Mbakyaan, Ikyogbajir, Ugee, Ikwe, Mbalom, Gbemacha, Shough and Mbasombo.

The group also urged the party to direct a fresh conduct of ward congresses in each of the 12 affected council wards as well as any other activity or process for the purpose of giving effect to the smooth, peaceful and efficient conduct of ward congresses in the 12 council wards.

“In closing, we humbly wish to note that the botched ward congresses in Gwer-East were only but an internal affair of our great party, the APC; a dress rehearsal to prepare for and put the party in a good stead for the forthcoming elections to various offices in Nigeria.

“Therefore, we make bold to assert that our participation in the elections to come would ultimately result in an exercise in futility if we cannot hold simple in-house selection processes in order to select officers to manage our party affairs and candidates to fly the party’s flags in the general elections.

Unless and except we hold free and fair ward and other levels of congresses, our participation in the general elections are doomed to failure. We say no more,” the stakeholders said.