…We will challenge kangaroo state congress in court
Joe Agada, chairmanship aspirant in Kogi State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has said that the Congress that was held recently in Lokoja was illegal, fraudulent, null and void.
Agada made the declaration at a press briefing, where he told newsmen that the purported state congress was illegal, lack credibility and adherence to party guidelines, adding that his group had concrete proofs to show that the majority of delegates at the event that produced Enemona Ayebe as state PDP Chairman was characterised by illegality and anomalies.
He pointed out that the basic bloc of the State Congress which is the Three-Man Ad-hoc Ward Delegate Congress where they supposed to elect 717 delegates in Kogi, purportedly conducted by Rt Hon. Boyelayefa Dabekeme-led committee was marred by grave anomalies and impersonation of Returning Officers from FCT, Nassarawa, Imo and Kano States.
He insisted that the development compromised the integrity of the ward congress and therefore, rendered the entire process null and void.
He noted that the guidelines for the conduct of PDP Ward, LGA, State and Zonal Congresses as well as the National Convention in PDP Constitution for the purpose of selecting party executive committees at all levels, were jettisoned.
The PDP chairmanship aspirant stressed that the accreditation at the state congress was highly manipulated and populated with non-statutory delegates across the 21 LGAs of Kogi State.
“As a leading aspirant of Kogi PDP chairmanship before the party decided to shoot itself in the foot, I am addressing this press conference to clarify certain issues.
“We want to let the public know that we did not withdraw from the PDP chairmanship and the state congress race, held on Saturday, August 31, 2024, but we decided not to participate due to illegality of the process.
“I and my group, decided not to participate in the illegal PDP state congress in Lokoja on August 31, because we cannot build on illegality. Our participation would mean confirming legality on illegal process.
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“For instance, Olamaboro LGA has 103 delegates in total, in which only 48 could attend the purported congress because 55 delegates who are in my group boycotted the congress.
“Yet, 83 delegates were purportedly accredited by the state congress committee. Hence, 48 impersonators were fictitiously added to the accreditation,” he said.
According to him, “This scenario in Olamaboro also occurred throughout the entire 21 local government areas of the state during the purported state congress on August 31.
“We have written to the PDP State Congress Appeal Panel, notifying them that 55 authentic delegates from Olamaboro LGA did not participate in the purported state congress.”
Agada stressed that the national PDP should not see the illegality issue as a state party’s internal affair, but as a matter that would be challenged in court.
According to Agada, the Supreme Court has made a distinction between processes that are called internal affairs of the party, and what the court can inquire into.
“In 2022 judgement, the Supreme Court affirmed that where an action has not taken place, it is the internal party affairs. But where an action has taken place, an aggrieved member of the party who has locus and concerned that a bridge of the Constitution of party guidelines has been violated by the party itself, can seek redress in court.
“This is why we did not participate in the purported illegal state congress because we have locus as we have declared our abstinence.
“We will approach the court because the injuries done to our aspirations cannot be compensated by quantum damages in lieu of the financial compensation,” he said.
