APC ward congresses: Lagos appeal committee receives 4 petitions

The APC Ward Congresses Appeal Committee for Lagos State on Wednesday said it had received four petitions from aggrieved groups.

It also said that it would hear the petitions on Thursday and Friday.

Chairman of the five-man committee, Mr Ibrahim Akaje, while speaking at a stakeholders meeting in Ikeja, assured the petitioners of fairness and justice.

Akaje said that the committee would follow the normal democratic channels toward ensuring that all petitions received fair hearing.

He said: “We are here in Lagos as an Appeal Committee of the APC to attend to complaints arising from the Ward Congresses.

“Let me inform you that so far, the committee has received four petitions submitted by the Lagos4Lagos, The Conscience Forum, the AAMCO and the Democrats Political Groups within the party.

“We expect other petitioners within the next 24 hours.

“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.”

Akaje said that the stakeholders’ meeting was to dialogue with all aggrieved members and address the complaints made in the petitions on the conduct of the Ward Congresses.

According to him, it is only normal that in any kind of democratic election, there are bound to be contestants who will raise issues which they feel were not handled properly.

He said: “Let me assure you that as members of the committee, we resolved to be fair and just in treating complaints made over the conduct of the ward congresses in the state.

“As Chairman of the committee, I have always cherished the idea of fairness, justice and peace and I want to assure you that this committee will do its best to listen to your complaints and advise the national Secretariat appropriately.

“All should be rest assured that we shall be as dispassionate as possible in discharging our responsibility as stated in our party’s constitution.”

He said that the committee would require understanding, cooperation and support from the petitioners as well as all members of the party.

Our correspondent reports that some aggrieved stakeholders used the opportunity to ventilate their anger against the July 31 ward congress in the state.

Mr Sunday Ajayi, the Vice Chairman, Apex Committee Lagos4Lagos group within the Lagos APC, said that the ward congress in the state was not fair.

“If anyone says APC is one, he or she does not want to say the truth,” another member of Lagos4Lagos group, Mr Shakiru Onilude, added.

Also, Mr Mustapha Dabiri of the Conscience Forum, another group within the party, said, “APC is one, but there are divisions. We have divisions. All we are asking for is inclusion.”

Mr Joseph Olawale of the Democrat Group within the party reiterated that the ward Congress was not fair, saying that the group had been marginalised.

Mr Lanre Ogunyemi, the Secretary, Lagos APC Caretaker Committee, said that there was no division in the state ruling party, stressing that no group is recognised within the party.

It was reported that the appeal committee has slated Thursday for the hearing of Lagos4Lagos and AAMCO groups’ petitions while Friday is set aside for petitions of the Conscience Forum and Democrats’ groups.

The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Gov. Mai Mala Buni, constituted and inaugurated the state ward congress appeal committees on Aug.11.

The committee is to look into issues that may have arisen from the recently conducted ward Congress of the party in Lagos State.