The All Progressives Congress, APC, Local Government Areas, LGAs, Congresses Appeals Committee, Lagos State, as constituted by the National Secretariat of the party, on Thursday, said, it has so far, yet to receive any petition against the conduct of council congresses in the state.
Chairman of the committee, Akaje Ibrahim, stated this, while briefing newsmen at APC Secretariat Acme, Ogba, on the commencement of hearing of petitions from aggrieved members on the September 4, LGAs congresses held in Lagos.
He was accompanied by caretaker executive members of the Lagos APC led by the chairman, Tunde Balogun.
Akaje said: “This particular committee is to attend to complaints or grievances arising from the conduct of the party’s recent congresses held on Saturday, September 4, 2021here in Lagos State.
“Let me first of all, on behalf of the APC National Secretariat express our appreciation to you all for the adequate coverage of earlier proceedings of the Ward Congresses Appeals Committee, which report has already been submitted to our National Secretariat.
“For the benefit of doubts, I wish to inform you that the mandate of this committee is the same as that of the previous one.
“Our mandate as provided in the APC Constitution (April 2014 as Amended), and Guidelines for Local Government Areas Congresses 2021 is essentially to serve as an umpire.
“Our task is to arbitrate between the petitioners and those that were saddled with the responsibility of conducting the just concluded APC Local Government Areas Congresses here in Lagos State.
“In this regard, I want to assure all and sundry that as members of this committee, we shall be impartial, by dispensing justice to all in accordance with the extant laws, rules and guidelines provided in the APC constitution and statutes.
“However, so far, the committee is yet to receive any petition. It is incumbent, at this juncture, to appeal to all petitioners to feel free, without let or hindrance in presenting their grievances before the committee.
“All we demand is that all those with genuine complaints should be decorous in their presentations.”
Despite, dissenting voices from some groups within the party, Akaje, declared that “there is no parallel group or faction within the party in the state, saying, “This (Balogun led executive) is the only authentic body that will recognize and know as representing APC in Lagos.”
He, therefore, urged all Nigerians, especially members of the party to, at all times exhibit acts of political tolerance and love for one another in order to promote unity and harmony which are virtues very crucial for peace and positive development in any society.
While charging the media to also strive in all circumstances to perform their professional roles in the most objective, fair, and balanced manner in accordance with its ethics, “as the cradle of Journalism in Nigeria, you will genuinely contribute your quota towards entrenching true democracy in the country.”
Vanguard News Nigeria