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The Parish Congress of the Akwa Ibom State Section of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was held despite protests that rocked it.
The party secretariat located at Ikot Ekpene Road Uyo, the state capital, was lit by a bonfire and protesters were seen carrying signs with inscriptions such as: “Udoedehe cannot decide for us at Akwa Ibom “,” The list cannot hold “,” We reject this chaotic one man manipulation “,” This congress cannot hold “and” Enough of the one man dictatorship in Akwa Ibom APC ” .
It was established that the protesters were suspected supporters of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and that they called for the cancellation of the constituency congress.
One of the protesters said: “Acting National Secretary Senator John Udoedehe fraudulently manipulated the lists to include only his congregants as candidates for ward and chapter conventions.
Speaking to reporters, a young activist Mr Effiong Bassey said the exercise was a sham, saying they would no longer tolerate a situation where one person hijacked the whole process.
His words: “We want the whole world to know that this sham is happening in Akwa Ibom. The state party fell under the iron fist of one man simply because of his ambition to lead the state in 2023. “
“We don’t know how he wants to achieve this if the party is balkanized by elements of disharmony prevailing.”
They called, however, for the impeachment of the former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, adding that “only his dismissal will bring peace and force other members who have left the party to return and rebuild the party by 2023. “.
Stakeholders in the party, under the umbrella of the APC Alumni Forum led by board group captain Sam Ewang, voted on a motion of censure against state president Dr Ita on Friday. Udosen, alleging that he was playing Senator Udoedehe’s card by manipulating the exercise and tampering with the lists of candidates in his favor.
But all this never stopped the congress of the parish which will be held today, Saturday while the activities in the other parishes went smoothly.
APC State Advertising Secretary Nkereuwem Enyongekere, who spoke to our correspondent, said the congress was peaceful and fair, watched by INEC officials in the 329 neighborhoods recognized by the ‘INEC.
He rejected the claim that the candidate lists had been falsified, adding that few people who wanted to disrupt Congress in a constituency were not party members.
“The exercise went well despite protests from a faction that is not one of our members. Very soon we will be releasing results. The congress was monitored by INEC in 329 neighborhoods across the state and you can’t judge the outcome based on what happened in one neighborhood, ”he said.
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