Late arrival of voting materials again marred the local government congress, which was conducted by the Ogun state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday.
In most of the congress venues visited in the three Senatorial districts of the state by monitoring journalists indicate that loyalists of both the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, and that of his godfather, ‘Segun Osoba, held parallel congresses to elect the party’s local government executives
In Ogun East Senatorial district for instance, party delegates loyal to Osoba in Ijebu North local government held their congress at the party’s Local Government secretariat at Station Road, while those loyal to Amosun had theirs at the Ijebu Igbo town hall.
In Remo North local government, the council chairman, Abayomi Soyemi who addressed journalists said the delegates adopted consensus method to elect their party LG leaders.
The situation was however, different at Ijebu East local government, Ogbere where three delegates were mercilessly beaten up and wounded by security operatives on the order of one Deko Onanusi who was alleged to have been working for the state governor.
Those wounded and taking to the General Hospital in Ogbere were identified as Femi Hamzat, Sade Ayo and Okeowo Adedayo.
In Ijebu – Ode, delegates loyal to Osoba had their congress somewhere along the Stadium road where they claimed that delegates from all the 11 wards that makes the Ijebu – Ode local government were represented.
Those loyal to Governor Amosun however, had theirs at the premise of the local government where delegates also protested imposition of candidates.
They were said to have told the delegates that a list, which had already been prepared the previous day, would be adopted as that of the delegates that emerged at the congress.
Allegations of candidate imposition by the APC party leaders in Ijebu-Ode resulted in a mass protest by aggrieved members at the Local Government secretariat venue of the Amosun’s faction.
The congress, which was scheduled to begin by 10am was forestalled when members laid an ambush on the office of the Chairman, Ijebu-Ode Local Council.
This led to a situation where most of the members, who had yearned for a free and fair election, were seen with branches and placards protesting the alleged imposition.
Some of the placards carried by the protesters bore inscriptions such as; ‘No To Anti-Party Leaders,’ ‘All We Want Is For The Congress To Hold’ and ‘Aremu Is The Majorities Vote, Not Ladi.’
Journalists who attempted to speak with official at the venue were also violently denied entry to the office where members of the APC Congress Committee were hiding after the protest in the venue of the Amosun’s factional congress in Ijebu – Ode.
