Factional executives have emerged in South West states of Ogun, Osun, Lagos and EKitti as All Progressives Congress (APC) held its local government congress across the country on Saturday
However, in the Federal Capital Territory, Yobe, Sokoto and Ondo among others, consensus candidates emerged.
In state such as Delta, the exercise couldn’t take place due to existing court order.
In Osun, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s camp and that of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, held parallel congresses across the 30 local government areas of the state.
In Osogbo Local Government, the Oyetola’s faction produced consensus executives at the Federal Constituency Office, Ladsol Area, where the exercise held.
But the Aregbesola’s faction held its congress at Ola Oni Centre, Gbongan Road, Osogbo.
The Osun Progressives (TOP) officials, a group loyal to the minister, said it successfully elected executives in 27 out of the 30 local government areas of the state.
Chairman of the faction, Lowo Adebiyi, said the group did not field candidates in Boripe, Ila and Boluwaduro local government areas.
In Lagos, a group, Lagos4Lagos Movement led by Olajide Adediran, held its parallel congress at different locations from those led by the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Tunde Balogun.
Mr. Ajayi, Vice Chairman, Apex Committee of the Lagos4 Lagos Group, told newsmen after the congress that his members were determined to return the party to the people.
He said: “Our executives are the legitimate executives of the party in the state today. Lagos4Lagos Movement is for everybody. We will run the party according to the wishes of members.”
But Balogun, the APC caretaker chairman in the state, claimed he was not aware of the parallel congress.
In Ogun, Governor Dapo Abiodun, and his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, conducted parallel congresses across the 20 local government areas of the state.
The two groups elected their respective local government party executives through a consensus arrangement.
In Ekiti, the pro-Tinubu group, South-West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA) boycotted the congress, which held across the 16 local government areas in the state.
It attributed the boycott of the congress to the ongoing court case it instituted at the Federal High Court challenging the ward congress.
Its secretary, Femi Adeleye, said: “In our petition, we protested the ward congress which did not hold in Ekiti State, but it seems the national leadership of the APC is not ready to listen to the issues raised.
“Without properly constituted ward executives, there cannot be valid LG congress. So, what they claimed they did today (Saturday) is illegal and that is the position of law.”
