14th May, 2018
Imo State Local Government Congress has been concluded successfully, Mr Hillari Eke, the state APC Chairman has said.
Eke made this known in an interview in Owerri on Monday.
He said there was no hitch during the process adding that the election was for a particular people and not a general election.
However, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo and his supporters boycotted the Congress and insisted that a fresh date forward congress should be fixed before LG congress.
The governor, while addressing his loyalists on Sunday, announced that there would be no LG congress in the state until the crisis of the ward congress was rectified.
Okorocha also in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, on Monday in Owerri asked the loyal party members to relax, assuring them that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party would fix new dates for the ward and LG congresses of the party in the state.
He noted that the sensitives materials meant for the ward congresses of the party in Imo were stolen “making the exercise not to take place on Saturday.
“The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun had also told Nigerians that the local government congresses of the party will be on hold pending the outcome of the report of the Appeal panel on Imo ward congresses.
“And since that public statement by the national chairman, he has not made any additional statement to that effect or any other statement in the contrary.”
The APC congress election was fixed for last Saturday but was later postponed to Monday following an advice by the party national leadership over attack on party members and setting of the party office on fire by hoodlums.
News correspondent who monitored the Congress in some LGA’s in the state reports that there was a huge turnout and the process peaceful.
In Obowo, Ehime/Mbano, Onuimo, Owerri Municipal and Isiala/Mbano LGAs, the Congress was successful with heavy security presence.
In Mbaitoli LGA, the officials arrived on time and the exercise commenced peacefully.
Speaking to newsmen, Chief Tony Amadi, who won the party chairmanship in Mbaitoli LGA said, “with this victory, I am now an authorized delegate of the party.”
In Ihitte Uboma, the Congress commenced at about 8:45 am and ended at about 3:30 pm.
A party faithful, Mr Emeka Ahaneku told newsmen that the process was peaceful.
“At Ihitte Uboma LGA, the congress of our dear party held”, he said, adding, ”it was not disrupted by anybody.”
The state chairman, Eke described the congress as the smoothest that ever happened in the state.
“The party is supreme. Any party congress organized by the constituted authorities is final.
“We shall not repeat any other congress in the state. The party has the final say, not any aggrieved faction,” he said.