Governor el-Rufai had described the APC ward congress in Kaduna state as an impressive exercise in democracy at the local level.
In a statement signed by the his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, after participating in the ward congress at his Ungwan Sarki ward, Kaduna North local government area, the Governor said “party members and stakeholders across the 255 wards in the state have worked together to deliver a very satisfactory outcome.
“I am receiving reports from all the 255 wards showing that the new APC leadership in the wards are emerging in a peaceful and orderly manner. It is an impressive exercise in democracy at the local level.
“There are no adverse reports from any part of the state. The reports indicate that things are going well. All the stakeholders are working together to bring about a strong leadership for the party at the ward level.
“The Kaduna APC will continue to wax stronger as a united party, whose members are loyal to its constitution, and are committed to the goal of serving our people,” the Governor added.
Shehu Sani: No ward congress in Kaduna
But Senator Shehu Sani said there was no APC ward congress anywhere in Kaduna state, a statement that Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi corroborated.
Blueprint investigations also revealed that there was no APC ward congress in most parts of Kaduna.
Our correspondents, who visited Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Igabi, Chikun, Kajuru, Kachia, Kagarko, Sanga, Jema’a and Jaba local government areas in the Central and Southern Senatorial District, report that, only few party supporters and electorates were noticed at the primary schools and party offices, where the congress ought to have been.
Blueprint observed that what APC did in most of the wards were affirmation and consensus, instead of election of actual new ward and council executive leaders.
In Chikun local government area, an APC official, Adam Abubakar Ekene, told our correspondent that the electorate were waiting at the congress venues, while INEC officials came to the party local government secretariat twice but there was no official from the state APC secretariat to provide materials and guide the congress. He also there were no national APC observers.
In Kajuru local government the wards visited by Blueprint including Mararaban Kajuru, Kasuwan Maganin, Pamfura Kujama and Kujama, there were also no electorate on hand and there was no APC ward congress election.
APC chairmen in the 12 wards in Igabi local government area said there was no congress held as no official from the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was noticed in the area.
In the 12 wards of Kwarau, Turunku, igabi, Fanshanu, Gwaraji, Zango Aya, Rigachukun, Afaka, Kirawa, Birnin Yero, Rigasa, Sabon Birni, congress was only said to have been held in Rigachukun ward.
Malam Umar Rigachukun, Chairman APC Awareness Forum in Rigachukun said that a winner emerged with 25 votes beating his closest opponent, who got 14 votes.
However, the APC chairmen in Igabi ward, Nafiu Musa, Turunku ward, Ayuba Shehu, Hussaini Idris, for Fan-shanu ward, Umar Chedi for Gwaraji ward, and Zubairu Yahaya of Zango Aya ward, said the congress did not take place as scheduled. According to them, there was no information from the APC state officials on why the congress did not hold in those areas.
Similarly, in the 12 wards in Kaduna North and 13 wards in Kaduna South local government areas, there was no congress and no official was present to give any explanation.
Though there was no breach of security anywhere, no security agents were noticed in all the areas visited, as resident went on with their daily activities peacefully.
