ABEOKUTA – Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) on Saturday held its ward congress.
The ward congress, which was held across all 236 wards within the 20 local governments of the state, was witnessed by officials of Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC).
Visit to ward 12, in Abeokuta North, saw PDP faithful in their large numbers came out to elect their executives at the level.
Also, the congress held at Ogere town hall, ward 7 in Ikenne local government was peaceful, seeing Hon. Taiwo Soneye emerged the Chairman of the ward.
The PDP ward congress held at Obadore square, ward 6, in Ikenne LG had Pastor Segun Ashiru as the Chairman.
INEC official for the two wards, Mrs Olajumoke Esan, said the party members conducted themselves well and peacefully.
While monitoring the exercise, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Hon. Solomon Maren said PDP, as people’s party, conducted the exercise as a family affair, saying it was one of the freest and transparent in the history of congress he has witnessed.
He said “You know it is a family business, a family affair and as you can see there is no trouble anywhere, everybody who wants to contest was given the right to contest, they also score the number of votes people want to give them, their supporters also queue behind them.
“It is one of the freest and most peaceful elections I have ever witnessed in the history of PDP Congress. I have conducted several congresses in many states before, but this is one of the most freest I have ever seen”.
Maren said, “I see that winners and losers are jollying together, clapping hands and hugging each other. This is the kind of thing we always look forward to as a party. Nigerians cannot continue to endure what is currently happening at the moment. We must come together and join hands and forces together as the party of Nigerian people, the only people’s party in Nigeria. If we don’t get it right as a party, Nigeria will continue to get it wrong.
“This is the time, I want to call all stakeholders to come together and forget their differences, burry them so that we can capture the country, capture the local government and the state as well as capture everywhere so that we can free Nigerians from prison they’ve been in all these while.
“I want to thank the people of Ogun State for being peaceful, for being accommodating, and for what they are. This is what all Nigerians should copy. Politics is not a do or die. It is the people who determines what they want to see tomorrow so we must always continue to avail ourselves and allow people to make their choice once that is done we should clock hands and hug each other.
“In American election, no one go to court to challenge the exercise because they know that what has happened is free and transparent and fair, this is what we look forward to in Nigeria, that Nigeria will also experience that and our people will have good governance in place in Nigeria.
“The 10 days protest will not happen again because if you have good governance, we will accommodate all Nigerians and solve all their problems so that Nigeria will move forward”.
Speaking on what expect in other congresses, he said “This is like the foundation of the Congress, what you see from here, you will know that it will be better in the local government Congress and even will be best at the State Congress because we have already elected the foundation which are the people that are going to vote in these places” .
He added, “This is the most dangerous election that is supposed to be the most rowdiness, but you can see this one the way it is. People have been elected, so the other election is delegateship. People will be delegating powers to the adhoc delegate and to the party officials that are elected today. I think subsequent congresses will be free and fair election, and it is also going to be peaceful”.
On his part, the State Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Hon. Dada Awoleye noted that the party has shown maturity with the conduct of the ward congress.
He disclosed that the party is ready to take over the mantle of leadership in the state.
He said, “To God be the glory, they say charity begins at home. The PDP members have shown orderliness, they have shown maturity, and they have shown that Ogun State is ready to take up power come 2027 even in the future election.
The Congress has been peaceful so far with all the wards we have witnessed. Everybody have conducted themselves orderly so we are happy for this. Ward Congress is about the most difficult to conduct, 236 wards! But we thank God that it has gone peacefully”.
Awoleye said “No single report of violence, no single report of disorderliness of any form, anywhere in the state have reach me so far, so it shows that PDP is ready to take up the mantle of leadership in Ogun State and we are happy for this and we shall kudos to members of PDP for showing this selfless service”.
