- Various state chairmen who emerged from the parallel congresses in APC stormed the party’s secretariat for the inaugurate of authentic chairmen
- The situation degenerated into a shouting match as the factional chairmen and their supporters battled endlessly to gain entrance into the main hall
- The minister of women affairs and the minister of communication were both denied entrance into the venue
- Normalcy was however restored shortly after the inauguration as the vanquished stormed out of the secretariat, while the victors celebrated with music and dances
The national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was on Monday, June 4, literally a battleground as state chairmen that emerged from parallel state congresses conducted recently, jostled for recognition during the ceremony to inaugurate authentic chairmen.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that security operatives positioned at both the main entrance and gate leading into the building had their hands filled trying to curtail the surging party members and their supporters.
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NAIJ.com gathers that the situation was rowdy almost all through the duration of the event as factional chairmen and their supporters battled endlessly to gain entrance into the main hall.
The minister of women affairs, Sen Aisha Alhassan, and that of communication, Adebayo Shittu, were denied entrance into the hall despite efforts by their security details to get them in.
The situation degenerated into a shouting match and threats by supporters of the factions denied entrance which resulted in the security agents releasing canisters of teargas to disperse the protesters.
The minster of women affairs whose faction was already in the hall, however, said she was not bothered that she was denied entrance into the hall, saying that such situations were normal in politics.
“I was not disappointed at all that I was denied entry into the hall, because I was made to understand that the National Working Committee restricted the entrance into the hall to only the chairmen, for security reasons.
“As a politician, I am not surprised over what happened,” she said.
The factional chairman of the minister of communication was however, not allowed entrance into the hall while the faction loyal to the state governor, Abiola Ajumobi was allowed in.
Defending the decision to deny the two ministers entrance, a secretariat staff who pleaded anonymity said they were not officially invited for the function.
He added that the ministers only came to ensure that their factional chairmen were among those inaugurated.
However, normalcy was restored shortly after the inauguration as the vanquished stormed out of the secretariat, while the victors celebrated with music and dances.
Outstanding among the victors were the Imo state delegation whose happiness knew no bound following the swearing in of Hilary Eke as the authentic chairman.
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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, withdrew from the party's chairmanship race.
Oyegun on Friday, June 1, while speaking with journalists in Abuja said he will not seek re-election as national chairman of the ruling party.
APC is the worst party in Nigeria, i regret being a member - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng