By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
Ogun East Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress(APC) have faulted Mr. Philip Shuaib – led APC Ward Congress Appeal Committee over claim that no petition has been received in respect of the party’s ward congress conducted in the state on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The Ogun East Stakeholders said that the Appeal Committee merely addressed issues pertaining to the congress conducted by a faction of the party but left theirs untreated, ostensibly to disenfranchise thousands of dedicated party members.
The Shuaib – led Appeal Committee had earlier on Friday disclosed that it had not received any petition from aggrieved members or groups regarding the just concluded congress across the 236 wards in the state where the existing party executive members were all returned through ratification process.
Chairman of the committee, Comrade Philip Shuaib, described the ward congress as peaceful.
The immediate ex – deputy governor of Edo State, who disclosed this during a press conference which he addressed at the APC State Secretariat, Abeokuta, said that since the conclusion of the exercise, no formal complaint or petition had been forwarded to the committee.
He said “The Ogun State APC ward congresses conducted on the 18th of February, 2026, were very peaceful and followed the party’s guidelines. We have not received a single petition from any aggrieved member or group.
“As we speak, I haven’t received any petition from anybody since the conduct of the ward congress.”
Reacting, however, through a statement, the Ogun East APC stakeholders who are largely loyal to Senator Gbenga Daniel, claimed that the authentic congress which was supervised and monitored by them as provided for by the party constitution was not acknowledged.
The statement was signed by General Olumuyiwa Okunowo (Rtd),
Akogun Kola Onadipe, Giwa Niyi-Osoba, Otunba (Dr.) Korede Okusanya, Princess Ronke Oduneye, Barr. Babatunde Adesanya and six others, indicated that they have also submitted former petitions to the National leadership of the party over the conduct of the said ward congress in the state.
The statement reads, “Our attention has just been drawn to a news report circulating quoting some members of the Ogun State APC Ward Congress Appeal Committee to the effect that there was no petition received on the conduct of the exercise.
“We need to state clearly that this is far from the truth because the Appeal Committee merely addressed the Congress conducted by a faction of the Party and failed to acknowledge the peaceful, legitimate and authentic Congress supervised by the APC Ogun East Stakeholders/Leaders Stakeholders Forum in line with the statutory procedures publicly advertised by the National leadership of our great Party.
“It is greatly unfair to sidestep this very important guidelines and procedure to disenfranchise thousands of loyal party members who have put their fate in the hands of our party’s national leadership and follow through on their guidelines and directive, many of whom also paid the statutory fees into the Party’s account to procure the forms for the exercise.
“It is equally important to State that petitions have been submitted to the National leadership through the office of the National Chairman as well as to the National Reconciliation Committee led by His Excellency, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni expressing the fears and anxieties of some members of our party on the prospective conduct of the Congress in Ogun State. (Kindly find attached).
“The fears of some members of our party is that the Congress allegedly endorsed and referenced by the Appeal Committee were mere fait accompli to fan a specific agenda which can also be injurious to the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President because it has to establish a “No Contest” situation.
“The Leadership of the Party which has been vested in the Governor in Ogun State is never in contest, but this responsibility cannot be without consultation with other stakeholders of the party towards arriving at a Consensus.
“We wish the party will look into this with a view to addressing the legitimate concerns of these thousands of party members”
