10th December, 2010
The National Convention Committee of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has cancelled the ward & local government council congresses held on 2 and 6 December in both Kwara and Taraba states respectively. It has also dissolved the executive committees of the party in the two states with immediate effect.
According to a statement issued by the National Convention Committee Chairman, Dr. Chris Ngige, after a meeting of the committee in Benin City, yesterday morning, the ward, local government and state congresses in the stateswould be announced later.
It said caretaker committees are to be put in place to steer the affairs of the party pending the conduct of ward, local government and state congresses in the states, in accordance with the party’s guidelines.
According to the statement, the congresses in Kwara State had to be cancelled as armed thugs carted away all the party registers, which are like the voter’s register and without which elections cannot be successfully conducted on Friday,3 December at the party headquarter in Ilorin, Kwara State.The matter is currently being investigated by the police.
In Taraba, the National Convention Committee said, there was no level playing ground for all the stakeholders during the congresses held on 2 and 6 December.
The committee said that since the ACN is a party that prides itself on fairness, justice and equity, the decision was taken to restore confidence in the minds of everyone and in furtherance of the party’s ethos.
Meanwhile, ACN’s National Convention, billed to hold in Benin City, Edo State, on 16 December has been shifted to 21 December out of respect for Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, who lost his wife, Clara, on Tuesday. The venue of the convention remains the same.