APC committee begins hearing on petitions over Lagos congresses

There was pandemonium at the Lagos State secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, as aggrieved party members condemned the position of the appeal committee set up by the national secretariat of the party on factional groups.

Some groups within the Lagos APC had petitioned the national body on the conduct of the July 24, 2021 ward congresses in the state.

Chairman of the Lagos State APC Ward Congress Appeal Committee, Akaje Ibrahim, insisted that the national body of the party had banned all groups within the party and therefore any stance against it will not be tolerated.

But groups within the party revolted against such a stance, saying that the internal groups of the party were needed to reach out to the people and ensure internal democracy.

However, other members of the party kicked against such, saying there are ward and local council chairmen to ensure that the grassroots of the party are carried along in party activities.

Ibrahim, in his address, said the committee’s presence at the secretariat was to ensure fairness, justice and peace and also attend to complaints arising from the congresses.

He added that the meeting was to dialogue with the stakeholders and to carry everyone in the party along towards addressing the complaints on the conduct of the congresses.

“This does not in any way contradict my earlier opinion that the congresses in the state were seamless and peaceful. It is only normal that you are bound to have committed contestants, who will raise issues they feel were not handled properly,” he said.

“Our great party, as a truly democratic vehicle, is most obliged to provide avenue for its members that feel aggrieved with the conduct of the congresses to seek redress,” he said.

He added that the committee had received four petitions submitted by Lagos4Lagos, The Conscience Forum, AAMCO and the Democrats Political groups within the party and expected others within the next 24 hours at the APC secretariat. “We have sorted out the petitions and distributed copies to every member of the committee to digest before we will later converge, deliberate on the issues raised, decide and make our submission to the national secretariat of the party.”

The committee fixed today and tomorrow, August 19 and 20, 2021 for the hearings of all petitions against the conduct of July 24 ward congresses in Lagos State.