By Emmanuel Aziken, Taye Obateru, Olasunkanmi Akoni Emman Ovuakporie, Peter Okutu, Aliyu Dangida & Samuel Olaniran
Members of the National Convention Committee, NCC, of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, are meeting in Benin to review reports of the local government congresses that took place across the country, yesterday.

The Congresses to choose executives for local government chapters of the party were, however, marred in several places due to logistic constraints or sometimes due to conflicting interests.

Among the states where the congresses held successfully yesterday were Plateau, Delta, Lagos and Ebonyi. The congress was, however, suspended in Edo State while the congress reportedly held behind closed doors as neither journalists nor officials of the Independent National ELectoral Commission  (INEC) could identify the venues.

Rivers

The congress in Rivers State was shifted to today as many party enthusiasts thronged the formal declaration of party chieftain, Dr. Itekena Abel-Tariah for the governorship. Abel-Tariah joins former Minister of Transport, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, in the contest to pick the party’s gubernatorial ticket.

Plateau

The state Chairman of the party in Plateau State, Chief Amos Gizo, said the congresses were smooth because the party was better organised than the ruling PDP where he said confusion reigns.

Speaking with Vanguard on the congresses, he said it was designed to authenticate membership status and also reflect the recent change in the party’s name.

Congress postponed in FCT

The Congress in the Municipal Area Council of the FCT was postponed due to the insistence of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, representative, Mr Eze Ukachukwu and ACN Technical Committee Coordinator, Mr Aliu Sambo on account of the absence of a delegates list.

Sambo in a chat with the Vanguard said: ”We cannot conduct this congress since the delegates do not have a list. There is no way I will subscribe to such a thing and the INEC man too supported it.”

Vanguard further gathered that the INEC representative was irked by the fact that the delegates had a consensus candidate hence half the required number to partake in the congress stayed at home instead of coming to vote. Mr Ukachukwu told them that he would not conduct the congress except a candidate is produced and due process followed, “internal democracy must start at the party level,” he insisted.

He however made the coordinators to write an undertaking indicating that the congress had been postponed till Wednesday of this week.

Ebonyi

In Ebonyi several persons were elected as LG officials of the party and state delegates from the Wards who will participate in the State Congresses to hold on 11th 2010.

Vanguard gathered that congresses held at Ugwu-Achara primary school for Ebonyi local government area, Ishielu LGA at Nkalagu while Abakaliki LGA took place at Nkaliki and others, at designated locations within the local government areas of the state. The Ward executives were expected to assemble at the local government areas where election of their LG executives and National delegates for the Party took place.

Lagos

Speaking to newsmen after the congresses in Lagos State after the collation exercise at the ACN Secretariat, Ikeja, the party ward congress chairman, Alhaji Sikiru Alabi Macfoy described the congresses as a success even as he affirmed that the exercise followed democratic process.

Ekiti

The congresses in Ekiti State was marked by protests in four of the 16 local governments. Party stalwarts protested that they were forced to endorse already chosen officials.