By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Contrary to general expectations that the All Progressives (APC) ward congresses in Kwara State would be marred with violence and protests, the exercise was conducted peacefully at the weekend.
In addition, the exercise was attended with large turnout of party supporters and up till Sunday afternoon when this report was being filed, there was no case of arrests by any arm of security agencies for unruly actions by any individuals, groups or factions as checks by this reporter showed.
There had been apprehensions that there would be clashes by the supporters of Governor AAbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on one side and Information Minister as well as Interior Affairs junior minister, Senator Gbemisola Saraki on the other.
The two groups had broken into factions of late and the political atmosphere in the state had been subtly charged in recent time leading to fears that, the ward congresses held at the weekend would be riddled with violence.
Meanwhile, the exercise recorded turn out of party men and women in Ilorin West, Ilorin South, Ilorin East, Asa, Kaiama, Baruten, Oke Ero and Irepodun Local Government Areas where this Correspondent monitored during the exercise at the weekend.
It was a bounced late on Friday that the party had agreed on consensus arrangement in the conduct of the congresses which produced elected officers in a very free atmosphere for the 193 wards in the Sixteen Local Government Areas.
The state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was reported to have recommended the consensus option to the party’s stakeholders to further foster peace and unity amongst party members in the State.
It was observed that representatives of the APC national caretaker committee witnessed the exercise in various centres across the state.
Speaking with newsmen at a press briefing, Alh Abdullahi Samari, the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman recognised by the national body confirmed that all the executives across the 193 wards emerged through consensus arrangement, in accordance with the wise counsel of Governor AbdulRazaq.
Special Adviser on Strategy to Governor AbdulRazaq, Alhaji Saadu Salahu who also spoke with newsmen at his Ibagun ward in Okelele area of Ilorin East local government area, attributed the success of the exercise to the outstanding performance of the governor.
His words: “In line with the directive of national caretaker committee and the state governor, we adopted consensus arrangements for all the candidates in the 193 wards at a stakeholder’s forum meeting on Friday.
“The large turnout was in appreciation of the governor’s exceptional performance in the past two years,” Salahu added.