APC cancels congress in Edo

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state has announced the cancelation of Tuesday’s ward congresses election of All Progressive Congress (APC) in the southern Senatorial District of the state.
The governor, who stated this at a media briefing yesterday in Benin City, attributed the decision to lapses observed during the exercise, adding that “consensus arrangement had failed in the senatorial district prior to the congress.”
He disclosed that the decision to annul the exercise was reached at a meeting of the party’s leadership on Wednesday.
“As a progressive party that is desirous of change, the APC could not afford to act like the reactionary and conservative political parties,” he said.

According to him, “conducting the congress without proper accreditation made the exercise a nullity and we are not certain that those who voted were members of the APC.”
He said: “Officials who were supposed to conduct voting were not available and party members had to organise the congress on their own; this factor could produce two lists of delegates in many instances.

“All of these have cast serious doubt on the integrity of the entire process. There were also reports of situations whereby unfair tactics were used to scare people away. We have listened to complaints from all the local governments in Edo South and it is clear that what was done was not absolutely satisfactory.”
He, however, apologised to party members in the zone for the development  stating that  a new congress would be held on April 12.
The governor, therefore, assure the people of  adequate security arrangement  to ensure a hitch-free exercise, pointing out that new officials from outside the Edo South zone would be used to organise the congress.