The All Progressives Congress (APC) ward and local government area congress committee for Lagos State on Saturday said party leaders across the 20 LGAs emerged via consensus arrangement.

The committee chairman, Karounwi Oladapo, in the company of other members of the team deployed from the APC national secretariat for the exercise, disclosed in Lagos.

Speaking with journalists at the congress venue in Kosofe, after monitoring the exercise in Ojo and Surulere, Mr Oladapo said the congresses were conducted in line with the party constitution and the Electoral Act.

He said the screening committee and congress monitoring committee sent from the APC national secretariat did a thorough job.

“In fact, everywhere we visited, issues had been already been sorted out and our new LGA party executives emerged through consensus arrangements, and the affirmation was done according to the rule of law and the legal requirements of our party.

“The whole thing is a resounding success. The Lagos party leaders and delegates conducted themselves very peacefully and maturely.

“And for the records, I haven’t seen any congress as peaceful as what we witnessed in Lagos State. Lagos State has always been at the forefront of progressive governance,” he said.

Mr Oladapo urged the new party leaders at the ward and local government levels to strengthen the party and take it greater heights.

“They must not do otherwise because what was handed over to them is a very strong and united party structure. The structure that has not allowed other political parties to penetrate.

“We haven’t been losing elections. So definitely those who are coming on board now should build on it and give us more victories than their predecessors. This is just my advice to them,” he said.

Earlier, the Lagos State APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, commended party leaders for their peaceful conduct during the congress.

He urged LGA party chairmen to manage and bring everybody together and win more members for the party.

Fifty-five delegates in Ojo, 142 in Surulere and 50 in Kosofe LGAs affirmed the election of 27 party executives in their respective areas through consensus.

Similarly, the consensus approach was applied in all the remaining LGAs, where 27 party executives emerged to run the affairs of the party for the next four years.

Correspondents who monitored the exercise in Ifako-Ijaiye and Agege observed that the processes were peaceful and non-violent.

Security agencies, including police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence, Lagos State Neighborhood Watch, were on ground in each location to maintain law and order.

The exercise was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

Speaking on the exercise, the immediate past chairman of Agege LGA, Ganiyu Egunjobi, commended the leadership of the party for organising peaceful congress.

(NAN)