By Our Reporter

Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-The ward congress elections of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the Amuwo Odofin ward A1 was disrupted Saturday by people believed to be working for another faction of the party.

The accreditation which was to be started at 8:00 am in the morning was fraught with irregularities as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials came at 11:49 am about four (4) hours behind schedule; but gave no reasons for this.

However, the exercise began at 12:30 pm and had lasted for several hours; before it was disrupted by one Kamoru Ogunbadejo popularly known as ‘’Democrat’’ and Head, climate change unit-Amuwo Odofin Local Government and his gang as fighting broke out.

Ogunbadejo is believed to working for Comrade Adewale Adebowale Ayodele, Chairman of the local government and unconfirmed reports has it that Ayodele’s men has lost in six (6) out of the seven (7) wards that make up the local government.

Some members of the party that spoke with our reporter said that accreditation was supposed to be done in the different units that make up the wards for easy process; instead of the centralised booth that was created by the INEC officials which caused very long delay and suffering for party members.

‘’It was quite a rowdy situation, members enthusiasm dwindled and rather than have members register alphabetically, it was left in the polling booths list. Only three (3) electoral officers came and by 4:00 pm the accreditation was going on before the process was disrupted by Ogunbadejo and his men,’’ one of the candidates vying for a position said.

Following this development, a team of conventional and Mobile Policemen led by John Otu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) were called in from the Area E Command Festac of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to take control of the situation.

However, before their arrival, Ogunbadejo and his group has fled the area after disrupting the exercise.

As earlier reported, less than 24 hours to the beginning of the party’s ward congresses, scheduled to run from 5th April to 24th May concluding with the National Convention a new faction of the APC headed by Ajibade Emiabata, State Chairman of defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) has emerged.

Emiabata while explaining the development at the new faction’s Ade-Onitimirin Street, Surulere, Lagos Secretariat on Wednesday, said the merger that birthed APC has since been marginalizing him and chairmen of two other political parties ? All Progressive People’s Party (ANPP) and All Progressive Grand Alliance (ANPP) ? that make up the party.

According to him, marginalisation came to a head at the Stakeholders’ Forum held at the party’s Secretariat, Acme road, Ikeja, on Wednesday. ‘’The activities at the Stakeholders’ Forum were conducted as if the party was still the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), this is unacceptable,’’ he said.

“We are not going to leave the party for them, we are still members of the party”, Emiabata asserted. “We’re going nowhere because we’re part of the merger. The fact that you are majority does not mean you shouldn’t recognise us. We’re not asking for equal right, but we want to be recognised.”

He however, called on all other party faithful from the sidelined parties to boycott activities of the congresses and conventions until they are accepted and properly recognised.

“I hereby direct all leaders, officers and members of the defunct CPC in APC to submit themselves only to my authority as the Chairman of APC in Lagos, and affirm the total dissociation of Lagos APC from Otunba Oladele Ajomale’s unilaterally organised ward Congresses for Saturday 5th of April 2014 across 376 wards of Lagos State”, Emiabata said.

However, this is the first time ward congress elections would be held in the state as the pattern of Lagos State polity under the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) since 1999 has always been imposition.

It is said that the people have never truly exercised their sovereign rights in deciding who their leaders would be and the persistent imposition of candidates on the electorates remains a source of provocation and a threat to peace.

26 positions are sought to be filled at the APC Amuwo Odofin local government chapter ward A1, these include Chairman, Vice Chairman, Ward Secretary, Ward Assistant Secretary, Ward Treasurer, Ward Assistant Treasurer, Ward Financial Secretary, Ward Assistant Financial Secretary, Organisation Secretary and Assistant Organisation Secretary.

Others are Publicity Secretary, Assistant Publicity Secretary, Ward Legal Adviser, Ward Assistant Legal Adviser, Ward Welfare Secretary, Ward Assistant Welfare Secretary, Ward Auditor and Ward Assistant Auditor.

Also, on the list are Ward Women Leader, Assistant Ward Women Leader, Ward Youth Leader, Ward Assistant Youth Leader and four (4) Ward Ex-Officio Members.