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The Peoples Democratic Party said on Sunday that it would punish the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and other chieftains of the party who disrupted or held parallel ward and local government congresses.
The Peoples Democratic Party said on Sunday that it would punish the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and other chieftains of the party who disrupted or held parallel ward and local government congresses.
The party said it would only recognise the congresses conducted by the officials it sent to the 36 states and Abuja for the exercise on Saturday.
Jonathan was on Sunday accused by the Chairman of the congress in Bayelsa State, Chief Omodele Omojuwa, of using hoodlums to disrupt the process in his state.
Though Jonathan denied the allegation, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. John Odey, said in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday that the party would deal with those that attempted to sabotage the congresses once it received the report of the National Congress and Convention Committee.
Odey said, 'Those who disrupted the exercise or conducted parallel congresses will be dealt with appropriately by the party. Such an action amounts to serious anti-party activity. That is why we have totally condemned the action of the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State who unilaterally disrupted the exercise in his state. His action is unfortunate and condemnable and the party is now well organised and won't tolerate that kind of conduct."
Shortly before Odey spoke with our correspondent, Omojuwa told newsmen in Abuja how Jonathan chased the team from Abuja out of Yenogoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
The Bayelsa State Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kikile Esueme, corroborated Omojuwa's claim that the congresses took place in the old eight local government areas of the state.
But Jonathan at a news briefing on Saturday said the congresses were suspended after due consultations with other party stalwarts based on unfavourable security reports.
Jonathan said the suspension was to forestall a breakdown of law and order in view of 'mounting tension" over a plot to hijack the congresses and demonstrate either in favour or against the state Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
He said he would inform the Presidency and the national secretariat of the PDP of the development.
The results submitted, according to the Omojuwa's report, constituted the ward executives and delegates for all the 105 wards in the state, as well as the executives of the old eight LGAs, state and national delegates.
In Oyo State, three persons were arrested in Saki by the state police command in connection with the killing last Saturday of Mr. Rauf Asikolaye during the fracas that followed the conduct of the congresses in the town.
The state Police Commissioner, Alhaji Audu Abubakar, said in Ibadan on Sunday that three of the principal suspects in the fracas had been arrested.
Abubakar gave their names as Mr. Taju Bale, Rashidi Afolabi and Razak Alapasa.
The commissioner said those arrested had already been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough probe of the incident, adding that the police were on the trail of other suspects. In Akinyele Local Government Area, the violence led to the arrest of Mr. Sule Arowosale.
In Oyo State, two parallel congresses were held as supporters of the state Governor, Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, and Chief Lamidi Adedibu sought to outdo one another.
However, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr. Sharafadeen Alli, explained that any election conducted before noon was in breach of the party rules and guidelines, which stipulated that the council congress must be held by noon.
In Oluyole Local Government Area, a group led by Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan reportedly won the election but sources said a group loyal to Chief Yekini Adeojo, dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll stormed out of the party secretariat, venue of the election which was done by simple counting and raising of hands.
At about 4pm on Saturday, the PDP coordinator for Oyo State, Mr. Azeem Gbolarumi, announced what he said was the authentic list of elected chairmen for the state.
They were: Mr. Gbenga Ayorinde (Afijio), Alhaji Wahab Gbolagun (Akinyele), Alhaji Oladipo Amusa (Egbeda), Alhaji Waheed Raji (Ibadan North East), Musiliu Anibaba (Ibadan North), Dr. Kola Balogun ( Iseyin), Olaniyi Abioye (Surulere) and Hamsat Adeniran (Ibarapa East).
From Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital came reports that two persons were kidnapped and one stabbed during the congresses.
And while the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Parchi Umoh, described the congresses as successful, the state former Deputy Governor, Obong Chris Ekpeyong, disagreed.
The Coordinator of the congresses in the state, Patience Ogbolo, said he was not going to speak.
The Delta State chapter of the PDP on Sunday said it would protest to the national secretariat of the party on Monday (today) over the alleged irregularities that characterised the congresses.
The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Benjamin Elue.
The congresses could not hold because of violence.
In Kwara State, there was disagreement over the conduct of the congresses.
While the state government and the Liason Officer of the party sent by the national secretariat, Alhaji Kola Shittu, described the congresses as successful, the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo, and a gubernatorial aspirant in the party in the last election, Alhaji Yekini Alabi, disagreed.
Olawepo and Alabi said there were parallel congresses in almost all the wards in the state.
But the Commissioner for Information and Home Affairs, Alhaji Raheem Adedoyin, dismissed the claim.
In Plateau State, the congresses did not hold owing to a court injunction.
The PUNCH, Monday, October 17, 2005