The ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State have used their recently conducted congresses to seek public approval, reports SUCCESS NWOGU.

Party congresses recently held by the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State provided a sneak preview into what is to be expected in 2015.

The APC, under the guidance of Senator Bukola Saraki, used its ward and local government congresses to demonstrate its level of preparedness to retain power in 2015.

For party members, the exercise did not only serve as a test of its popularity, but also provided an avenue to demonstrate its level of preparedness for the coming elections.

Perhaps, more than ever before, the party felt a need to reassure the public that it was capable of delivering the dividends of democracy, despite threats by the main opposition PDP.

This is even more so, when the President Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP has promised to support the state chapter in its bid to recapture power.

The state chapter of the PDP, on the other hand, used its ward congress to reassess its strength as well as weaknesses in an attempt to effect corrections where necessary before the election day.

Before now, the state chapter of the PDP held sway at all levels. It was, however, forced into opposition when Bukola Saraki, a two-time governor, led his successor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and other party members to join the APC.

Signs that the PDP still commands a large following were evident during its ward congress, the only congress held so far by the party in the state.

The large turnout of members was so impressive that stakeholders of the party temporarily set aside their bickering to commend the exercise.

A former PDP governorship aspirant in the state, Mr. John Dara, who is now a delegate representing the North-Central in the ongoing National Conference, captured the mood of party leaders.

He said, "The turnout of the exercise was far more than we anticipated. The general atmosphere is festive because we see freedom and progress in the air. We see the transformation of Kwara State just around the corner. PDP is surely going to take over the governance of Kwara State and we are going to do it in a grand style."

Leader of the party, who is also a delegate to the conference, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, and a former candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in a 2011 governorship election, Mr. Dele Belgore, also applauded the exercise.

They said, the turnout of party members was an expression of a desire by the people of the state for a change.

However, the PDP congress was not without chaos. The otherwise peaceful party was punctuated by squabbles among some of the party’s leaders.

For example, at Ajikobi Ward in Ilorin, the base of Gbemi Saraki, a misunderstanding between her and Prof. Abdulrahman Oba, as well as their supporters forced the party to postpone the exercise.

The matter was resolved under the supervision of the representatives from the PDP of the National Headquarters as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission a few days later. Gbemi’s loyalists triumphed.

Another incident which also threatened the exercise was the fatal shooting of a suspected hoodlum by in policeman deployed on the PDP secretariat located at the Sango area of Ilorin.

It was learnt that a policeman fired a warning shot into the air in a bid to control a rowdy crowd but his AK-47 rifle suddenly fell from his hands.

A member of a group of suspected hoodlums grabbed the gun and allegedly refused all entreaties by the policeman around to return the weapon.

It was at this point that another policeman shot the deceased in order to retrieve the rifle. Pandemonium broke out. When the dust settled, two people were left wounded.

For the next few days, the APC used the tragedy to deride the opposition party.

In a statement issued by its state Interim Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Suleyman Buhari, the APC said the incident was part of the current spate of wanton destruction of lives and property which demonstrated the "desperation and greed" for political relevance by the opposition party.

It urged the state Police Command to probe the incident with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

As if to teach the PDP how ward congresses ought to be conducted, the APC held its own ward congresses which also attracted a huge turnout of party members. It was generally peaceful.

A former Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, who is now a leader of the APC, expressed delight that despite the large turnout, the congress went smoothly in all the 193 wards of the state.

He expressed optimism that the plot by President Jonathan and the ruling PDP to recapture Kwara State would be an exercise in futility.

According to him, members of the APC are master planners and pace setters when it comes to political organisation, cohesion and internal stability.

Baraje said, "How can somebody, a stranger, come overnight and say he is going to take over our winning system for over four decades? It is impossible! We are expecting them (PDP). We will go through free, fair and credible elections and APC shall emerge the winner."

In his remarks, Senator Bukola Saraki said the ward congress was democracy in action. He explained that the people had shown that in the atmosphere of harmony, peace and love, political progress and development could be achieved.

Saraki speaking during the Ilorin West Local Government congress blasted the PDP for not being able to successfully and peacefully conduct ward congresses.

He said it would therefore be inappropriate for the PDP to dream of recapturing Kwara State.

"We want to win total. We want to send a message across Nigeria and to the pretenders that in Kwara State we are not seasonal politicians. What do I mean by seasonal politicians? People who, after elections, go home and lock their doors and windows.

"They only care for their families. They don’t open their doors to anybody. Then nine months to elections, they will come out to look for votes," Saraki said.

Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Mr. Razak Atunwa, spoke in a similar fashion.

Atunwa said the large turnout of party members and their peaceful conduct during the exercise demonstrated their love for the APC.

Basking in the euphoria of the peaceful exercise, the member representing Ilorin East and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr. Ali Ahmad, and Chairman, Ekiti Local Government, Akintoba Fatigun, joined others to commend the party over the exercise.

They all spoke without reference to the near chaotic situation in Baruteen Local GovernmentArea of the state.

The congress in the council was declared inconclusive.

Party members had gathered at the LGEA Primary School, Kosubosu, the local government headquarters, but could not agree on candidates or modalities for the election.

While some wanted new candidates, others preferred the interim management committee members to continue in office.

A state APC official, Ibrahim Koto, said, "Some maintained that the old executive should continue, while others said they should be changed.

"So, we are going back to Ilorin to tell them what has happened because we don’t want a situation where our people fight one another because of an elective post."

But a source said that some APC members were opposed to a new list allegedly brought from Ilorin as new executives.

A party member, who pleaded anonymity, said, "We don’t want impostors; we want the old executives to continue. They should give a level playground to vote instead of forcing us to reach consensus on candidates we don’t want."

Members of the opposition PDP have also latched on this to deride the APC which they say has a penchant for imposition of candidates.

When confronted, Bukola Saraki defended the party’s action. He argued that there was nothing wrong with the practice because going for a consensus candidate was part of democratic process.

Saraki noted that it was when party members did not agree with a consensus arrangement that they could proceed to have an elective congress.

Baraje also said consensus was a cherished "democratic" tradition of the APC, which he noted, would foster democracy and reduce rancour and costs associated with primary.

As the battle for the hearts and votes of the people of Kwara rages, close watchers of a politics are of the view that the APC appears jittery over the challenge coming from the opposition PDP.

The analysts are also of the view that the PDP, on the other hand, needs to put its house in order because federal might alone cannot ensure victory at the polls.