The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) congress in Kwara State was characterised by protests by aggrieved members.
While a group wanted the incumbent executive led by Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo to be returned unopposed, another preferred voting to elect a new leadership.
The situation led to delay in accreditation of delegates.
The irreconciliable differences resulted in non-accreditation of delegates from Kwara Central in an exercise that ended in the wee hours of yesterday.
Disenchanted members led by Senator Ayinla Folorunsho vowed to resist the affirmation being introduced by the executive committee of the party.
They accused the Chairman, Iyiola Oyedepo, of a plan to scuttle the process of injecting new blood into the executive of the party with his insistence on affirmation instead of congress as directed by the national body.
Addressing reporters in Ilorin, Folorunsho warned that angry members would not allow the congress to hold if the incumbent executive insisted on affirmation.
He threatened that in the event that the executive failed to conduct the congress, members would be left with no option but to convey their grievances to the national headquarters.
His words: “There is supposed to be PDP congress, and that is what is going on. But there is a mixture of things. The present executive wants to do affirmation. We members want a congress. It is the congress that the national leadership asked us to do, and all along, the chairman has been saying there will be no congress. That they are going to do affirmation. We members are not going to allow affirmation but congress.
“It was the national body that announced that all states except Kogi, Edo and Ondo, all the rest including FCT must go for congresses.”
Another member, Dr. Abdulganiyu Abdulbaki, said the present executive wanted to perpetuate its impunity, while members would not allow such to happen.
He advocated the dissolution of the executive to pave the way for new people with fresh ideas.
The police command said it arrested nine persons for alleged public disturbance during the congress.
Investigation showed that the suspects were allegedly armed with weapons, ammunition and charms and they shot sporadically.
Police Commissioner Sam Okaula confirmed the development.
He said the police found in their possession locally- made pistols with ammunition and charms.
Okaula said the suspects had no business being at the congress, adding that they would be arraigned after investigation.