The Kwankwasiyya-led faction of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kano has conducted parallel ward congress in the state, the Chairman of the faction, Alhaji Haruna Umar Doguwa, said.
However, the Chairman of the seven-man congress team sent to Kano by the APC National Headquarters, Chief John Halims O. Agoda, disputed the claims, saying he was not aware of any parallel congress conducted in the state by the Kwankwasiyya-led faction of the APC.
Speaking to Daily Trust on phone today, Doguwa explained that the ward congress was conducted in all the 44 local government areas of the state last Saturday.
Doguwa explained that forms were sold to interested contenders and congress was held in all the wards across the 44 local government areas of the state.
He said, “We secured forms form the APC National Headquarters for the aspirants that come through us and they made payments through banks. They brought their bank tellers to us as evidence of payment and we allowed them participated in the congress.”
He added that the Kwankwasiyya-led APC faction would also conduct the local and state congresses in the state as scheduled in the time-table released by the APC national body.
Doguwa assured that he would submit the results of the ward, local and state congresses to the party headquarters in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.
But speaking to Daily Trust at the APC state secretariat where they coordinated the congress, Agoda said, “When we came into Kano three days ago, we have paid courtesy visits to several departments that are crucial to the success of the congress such as police, DSS and INEC as well as party stakeholders and intimated them of our mission to conduct APC congresses in the state. We have told them that all we need is peaceful congresses.
“To be honest with you, as far as this team is concerned, we don’t have parallel congress in Kano. Nobody inform us about it and we are not party to it. The APC’s constitution is very clear about the
congress.
“Where do they conduct the congress? Here we are at the APC secretariat conducting the coordinating the congress. Unless the national leadership of the party has sent another team to conduct another congress in the state, we are not aware of the APC Kwankwasiyya’s congress.”
He said the APC congress team was not in Kano to encourage plagiarism or cause division in the party; rather to ensure that the APC congresses were conducted in a fairly and transparent manner.
He assured that after the congresses, the team would submit the results to the national leadership of the party.
