By ADEYEMIY ADELEYE

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward and Local Government Area Congress Committee for Lagos State on Saturday said that party leaders across the 20 LGAs emerged via consensus arrangement.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Karounwi Oladapo, in the company of other members of the team deployed from the APC National Secretariat for the exercise, disclosed this at the end of the exercise in Lagos.

Speaking with newsmen at the congress venue in Kosofe, after monitoring the exercise in some council areas, including Ojo and Surulere, Oladapo said that the congresses were conducted in line with the party constitution and the Electoral Act.

Oladapo, who applauded the peaceful conduct of the exercise across the state, expressed the committee’s satisfaction with the conduct of delegates.

“We have witnessed and monitored the Ward Congresses on Wednesday, and today, Saturday, we have been to many places in Lagos State to witness and monitor the way our Local Government Congresses have been conducted.

“We are very satisfied. In fact, the uniqueness of Lagos State was on display. The structure that had been put on the ground before we came simplified our job.

“The Local Organising Committee had done wonderfully well. We didn’t have any problem.We never witnessed any violence.

“In fact, everywhere we visited, both the Ward and Local Government Congresses, the atmosphere was carnival-like.

“In fact, everywhere we visited, issues had already been sorted out and our new LGA party executives emerged through consensus arrangements, and the affirmation was done according to the rule of law and the legal requirements of our party.

“The whole thing is a resounding success. The Lagos party leaders and delegates conducted themselves very peacefully and maturely,” Oladapo said.

He said that the Screening Committee and Congress Monitoring Committee sent from the APC National Secretariat did a thorough job.

Oladapo added: “We never skipped any aspect of the guidelines and regulations of our party.

“And for the records, I haven’t seen any congress as peaceful as what we witnessed in Lagos State. Lagos State has always been at the forefront of progressive governance.

“Lagos State has always been at the forefront of democratic tenets in Nigeria.

“And those of us who have been sent here to monitor and conduct the congresses will go back to Abuja and reflect exactly the unique success we recorded in Lagos State.”

Oladapo urged the new party leaders at the ward and local government levels to strengthen the party and take it to greater heights.

“They must not do otherwise because what was handed over to them is a very strong and united party structure.

“The structure that respects leadership. The structure that looks up to leadership. The structure that has been winning elections in Lagos State.

“The structure that has not allowed other political parties to penetrate. We haven’t been losing elections.

“So definitely those who are coming on board now should build on it and give us more victories than their predecessors. This is just my advice to them,” he said.

Earlier, the Lagos State APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, who applauded the committee for a job well done, commended party leaders for their peaceful conduct during the congress.

“I want to tell you that Mr Governor is happy with the way you have conducted yourselves in the ward and LGA congresses.

“I want to say that we must forge ahead with that spirit of togetherness and unity that we have demonstrated in these congresses. Let us be united. Let us realise that we have a task ahead of us.

“We should not just want to be the Chairman, the Woman Leader, Youth Leader and others. We have responsibilities,” he said.

According to him, the Woman Leader, the Youth Leader and others,in each LGA,have the responsibility of mobilising women for the success of the party in the 2027 general elections.

He urged LGA party Chairmen to manage and bring everybody together and win more members for the party.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 55 delegates in Ojo, 142 in Surulere and 50 in Kosofe LGAs affirmed the election of 27 party executives in their respective areas through consensus.

Similarly, the consensus approach was applied in all the remaining LGAs, where 27 party executives emerged to run the affairs of the party for the next four years.

NAN correspondents who monitored the exercise in Ifako-Ijaiye and Agege observed that the processes were peaceful and non-violent.

Security agencies, including Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence, Lagos State Neighborhood Watch, were on ground in each location to maintain law and order.

The exercise was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

Speaking on the exercise, the immediate past Chairman of Agege LGA, Mr Ganiyu Egunjobi, commended the leadership of the party for organising a peaceful congress.

Egunjobi also commended Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his leadership role in the party and expressed optimism that the APC would record a success in the 2027 general elections.

Also speaking, an APC chieftain in the area, Mr Samuel Ogunmusi, described the peaceful conduct of the congress as an indication that the party is a peaceful party.

Another APC Chieftain and former councillorship aspirant for Ward H, Abule Egba, in Ifako-Ijaiye LGA, Mr Tunde Rufai, described the process as seamless.

“APC as a party has a unique way of managing its internal affairs,” Rufai said. (NAN)

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