The All Progressives Congress, APC, has held peaceful local government congresses in the eighteen local government areas of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
The exercise, which was flagged off by a seven-man committee led by Hassan Kafayus, who addressed members on Saturday, said that the team was in Cross River to ensure the congresses were conducted peacefully.
Kafayus commended the leader of the APC in Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade and members for holding series of meeting to arrive at the consensus.
He said, “about APC’s congress, we try as much as possible to make sure that we reached a consensus and voice vote. We thank God that in all the eighteen local government area, there has been series of meetings with the state governor and members and they came to the conclusion that there was going to be consensus.”
The congress committee chairman further explained how ‘consensus’ is reached, stating “what we mean by consensus is that it has been agreed within the party membership that the executives at the local government, these would be their leaders. So, it is unlike holding a primary election.
“But, be that as it may, there are 27 executives in each of the local government, we have to go and cast votes and this particular one is through voice votes. So, my team and I as well as the political adviser, the party chairman and other stakeholders, we will go round some of the local governments and part-take in the exercise,” the chairman stated.
He solicited the cooperation of all APC members by ensuring that Cross River State remained peaceful.
Peaceful congress
Meanwhile, Calabar South local government concluded its congress peacefully, devoid of rancor and any form of violence.
The council chairman, Esther Bassey, who addressed the newly elected executive members after they were adopted as leaders through voice votes by delegates, charged them to be selfless and united.
Bassey described the process as the most peaceful in the local government area, stating “over the years, Calabar South has never had it this easy. Elections like this have always been filled with violence and other vices. But, we thank God that a new leadership has come to our local government to foster peace and love. Let there be peace.”
Responding on behalf of the new executives, the Calabar South APC chapter chairman, Victor Ekpenyong and the woman leader, Emmanuela Etim expressed appreciation to party faithful for finding them worthy to serve.
The situation was the same in the entire local government areas with the exception of a few where negotiations took longer than necessary as old party members expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangement.
Further investigation revealed that the chairmen and secretaries across all the local government chapters were persons, who defected alongside the governor from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC, a situation, which old party members considered unsatisfactory.
However, other members of the local government chapters were a combination of the old and new.
Ime N
