All Progressives Congress (APC) has released the approved schedule of activities and guidelines for the conduct of the party’s nationwide ward congresses scheduled for Saturday, July 31, 2021.

The party also granted waivers to returning members of the ward executive and new members to contest for any of the 27 ward executive offices and delegates for local government and state congresses.

The notice of timeline and activities for the ward congresses released yesterday in Abuja by the party’s Secretary Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), John James Akpanudoedehe, showed that purchase of nomination forms for ward, local government/area councils, and state congresses will take place from July 19 to August 28, 2021.

Screening of aspirants for the ward positions is scheduled for July 29 to July 30, 2021; ward congresses will hold on July 31, 2021, while appeals arising from ward congresses will hold from August 2 to August 7, 2021.

The notice reads: “In line with Article 11:A sub-section (i-xiii) and Article 16(i) of the party’s constitution (as amended), the APC will be organising its congresses across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to elect its wards, local governments and states officials. Only wards and local government areas stipulated in sections 156 of the Electoral Act and Part I&II of the First Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as Amended) is recognised.

“The CECPC of the party, in a bid to ensure open, credible, and fair congresses that reflect the sanctity of internal democracy in the party, issues a guiding regulation for the nationwide congresses of the party. It is binding on all persons coordinating and participating in all Congresses.”

The statement also said: “In addition to waivers granted to officers seeking re-election, the waiver is hereby granted to persons who joined the party recently to vote and be voted for, provided that their names are in the ward registers.

“The National Executive Committee (NEC) has granted waivers to new members (those who applied for such) and to all officers at ward, local government and state levels, in line with the provision of Article 13 (4) xv, provided that no officer elected in this exercise shall serve in the same capacity beyond the maximum term prescribed in Article 17 I & ii of the APC Constitution (as amended).”

Akpanudoedehe explained that any “member who started or continued with litigation against the party after the directives of NEC is not eligible to vote or be voted for in the respective congresses”.

He directed that “without prejudice to these guidelines, all aspirants with valid court judgment(s) concerning previous forms purchase are eligible to participate in the exercise”.

The Nation