By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
ABEOKUTA— The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) State Congress Committee Chairman, Kabiru Jauro has declared that the state congress held at the Legacy Hall of the Abeokuta Sports club remains the only known and authentic congress for the party in the state.
The Daily Crucible reports that the State Congress Committee led by Alhaji Kola Akinyemi conducted a separate congress that produced Sikiru Ogundele as chairman and other members of the new executive which was observed by the police and other relevant agencies.
Ogundele polled 1, 763 to emerge State chairman of the PDP emanating from the coalition led by 2023 governorship aspirant, Chief Jimi Adebisi Lawal (JAL); the Deputy Governorship candidate, Hon. Abdulkadir Adekunle Akinlade and the immediate past State Chairman, Hon. (Dr.) Sikirulai Ogundele.
The Congress wash held at the NeuGate Exclusive Hall, Agbeloba, Abeokuta, the state capital.
But speaking with newsmen during the exercise, Jauro urged members of the public to disregard report of alleged parallel congress by some aggrieved members, stressing that such remains a “kangaroo congress” and an exercise in futility.
Jauro maintained that his committee met with all politicians in the state chapter of PDP after liaising with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the party where necessary information regarding the conduct of the Saturday’s Congress were rolled out for a hitch-free conduct of the exercise.
“We came in yesterday and went round with the chairman to see the arrangements because we normally supposed to have a Local Organising Committee (LOC) to see the arrangements and we put in our own input regarding what we want to ensure a hitch-free conduct of the State Congress”.
“We thereafter, met with the INEC, the State Commissioner of Police (CP), Abiodun Alamutu; the Director of the State Security Service (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to present ourselves to them for proper security arrangements. We thereafter, called attention of all the politicians in the state through the Caretaker Chairman that we are here to conduct the party’s State Congress.
“So, if there is anything or any other State Congress going on somewhere else, they are on their own because they neither have a letter of authority, not the list of the delegates and if they have, let them show you.
“For us here, we have the ballot papers and list of all the statutory and non-statutory delegates; everything here with me. Very soon, you’ll see the actual delegates voting after we must have done the accreditation which is starting from the Ogun West Senatorial district where we are expecting five Local Governments.
“I am saying this before the INEC representatives that are here that if anybody says he is doing any other Congress aside from this one, it is a kangaroo exercise because nobody will take it serious. We have not told anyone not to come, we emphatically told them all that we have the authentic list of delegates. For me, I don’t know anybody because this is my second time of coming to Ogun State after 32 years ago.
“Please permit me to emphasize that right now, my job is to conduct the state’s party congress with my colleagues after which the result and detailed analysis of the report will be submitted to the national secretariat of our party, detailing the procedural processes.
“It is thereafter, left for the national secretariat to cross-check how we carried out the assignment given to us whether it is in tandem with the guidelines. If however, they are not satisfied with what we have done, it is left for them as they are the ines to speak on it. I don’t have any mandate to speak in that direction.”
At the end of the Congress, the 7-member People’s Democratic Party (PDP) State Congress Committee for Ogun State declared Rotarian Abayomi Tella as the newly elected State Chairman for the party.
Tells, a former local government chairman polled a total of 2,216 votes, while his close the rival, Sikirulai Ogundele scored 28 votes.
The total number of delegates were 2549, while accredited voters are 2,174 just as invalid votes is 50
