“All the 14 APC governors in the North indicated that they would prefer indirect primaries. They gave two reasons. One is the cost, because we believe it would be as costly as the general election. Two is the security situation.
There are strong indications that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC may lose the 2019 general elections on the backdrop of the insistence of the Adams Oshiomhole led National Working Committee of the party that direct primaries be adopted to nominate candidates.
Recall that APC NEC at its last meeting in Abuja resolved that the party use direct, indirect and consensus primaries as against the usual use of indirect primaries. However, the indirect primaries option was reserved for the presidential nomination.
A copy of the resolutions read in parts, “primary elections into all elective offices shall be by the Direct and Indirect Election or by Consensus. The use of the Direct and Indirect Primaries shall however depend on the peculiarity and need of a given State”.
But barely 24 hours after the NEC meeting, APC NWC in what it termed clarifications on the NEC resolutions announced that direct primaries will be conducted to nominate candidates for all offices including the presidency.
First experimented in the Osun Governorship Primaries, under direct primaries, all registered members of the party are legible to participate in the nomination process.
According to its proponents, “direct primaries will among others create a level playing ground for contestants; eliminate corrupt tendencies usually associated with the delegates system and ultimately ensure full participation of party members at all levels”.
The insistence of APC NWC on the use of direct primaries as against the traditional use of indirect primaries has thrown the party into unprecedented turn oil with permutations that its top echelons such as governors, Senators, Ministers among others would dump the party if not favoured by this arrangement.
Particularly, governors who want second term or intend to transit to the National Assembly and other party stalwarts who have put in place a structure(delegates) that will do their biddings with ease consider direct primaries suicidal to their ambitions.
Consequently APC controlled States are said to have adopted indirect primaries in a radical departure from the NWC foisted direct primaries, thereby making the primaries a battlefield before the conduct of the exercise.
Reports have shown that almost all the 14 APC controlled states in the North have rejected direct primaries and adopted indirect primaries as they consider the move as ploy by their counterparts in the South West geopolitical Zone except Lagos to satisfy the selfish interest of a particular political icon.
A popular APC Governor from the North who do not want his name in print upon the NWC position said his colleagues prefer indirect primaries to direct primaries because of security issues in the region and cost implications as well as convenience.
He said, ” it is not correct to say that the National Working Committee of the party has decided to hold direct primaries for all elective posts”.
“All the 14 APC governors in the North indicated that they would prefer indirect primaries. They gave two reasons. One is the cost, because we believe it would be as costly as the general election. Two is the security situation.
“Most of our states have one form of insecurity or another and trying to hold direct primaries involving all party members will be an invitation to chaos. Besides, our opponents will try to infiltrate our primaries and cause confusion.
“Apart from the governors, APC leaders in non-APC controlled Northern states namely Chief Akume in Benue, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje in Gombe and Information Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed of Kwara also indicated a preference for indirect primaries.
“Besides, the governors of Ondo, Oyo and Ekiti have indicated support for indirect primaries while the Governor of Ogun said he does not mind whether the primaries are direct or indirect”, he said.
The governor alleged that, “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the prime mover of the idea of direct primaries. President Buhari also supports it, at least with respect to presidential primaries.
“I don’t think it matters much to the President what type of primaries are conducted because he is so far the only candidate, except perhaps for the propaganda value of saying so many millions of people voted for him.
“But for the other elections the choice is very important because it could make the difference between primaries and chaos”, the governor argued.
Also, in furtherance of their opposition to direct primaries, governors allegedly convoked a meeting of state chairmen of APC in Abuja recently and direct primaries mode was loudly rejected.
The APC state Chairmen anonymously said, “we are party members who want the best for our party. We will take this matter ( mode of primaries ) up with the NWC because the decision of the National Executive Committee was what governors Simon Lalong ( Plateau ) and Yahaya Bello ( Kogi ) told journalists”.
Apart from governors, most national officers of APC are not in favour of direct primaries. For instance, APC National Vice -Chairman North -East , Mustapha Salihu , had dismissed reports that the party’s NWC agreed to recommend direct primary method to the party’ s caucus and NEC .
Salihu noted that the each state /geopolitical zone had its peculiarities , noting that the direct primary was an idea being pushed by the South -West geopolitical zone of the APC .
He noted that there is nothing wrong for any zone to push for what best suits states within its control but that it will be wrong to foist such on others .
“If one geopolitical zone feels that ( direct primary) was what is best for them, I think they can canvass that at the regional level and they now give us reason why they need that. I want to believe that in a democracy , the majority will have their way and the minority will also have their say .
“So, they have the right to wish and if we decide to make it flexible , definitely what they want will be given to them at their own various states , but one thing I want to assure you is that we will not succumb to regional imperialism so long that we are acting within the constitution”, he stated.
Specifically, APC in Kaduna state is sitting on a timed bomb as the party leadership under Governor el Rufai has adopted indirect primaries while other party kingpins including aspirants led by the eloquent Senator Shehu Sani are clamouring for direct primaries.
That el Rufai group decision reached irrevocable stage is dangerous for APC because feelers are that what stopped Shehu Sani from defecting with other Senators was the conviction that direct primaries would be conducted, and as such he would be favoured but with indirect primaries using el Rufai controlled delegates his ambition is doomed.
Sani has lamentated that, “delegate System, otherwise called Indirect Primaries will rely on the whims and caprices of the few that control the party after emerging from ward, local government and state congresses that have been widely rejected by party members as a sham.
“Hundreds of party members who bought forms with a view to vying for various wards, local governments and state party executive positions were deliberately excluded from the process and in some instances even intentionally blocked from submitting their forms nor were they even consulted ahead of the so-called processes of affirmation of officials of the party.
“Instead the names of all party executives were single handedly written by the Governor. That alienated many of our party members and caused mass exodus from the party. These selected party executives under the tyrannical hold of the Governor have been complying with his (the Governor’s) biddings, limiting access, communication and association to only those candidates in the favoured book of the Governor.
“A great many of members of the party executives have been appointed to serve as campaign coordinators of the Governor’s preferred candidates at various levels while those deemed to be sympathetic to the cause of the people other than the Governor have been shown the way out” he maintained.
Also worrisome is the situation in Imo state where Governor Richas Okorocha is also vehement against direct primaries and opted for indirect primaries. Analysts are of the view that Okorocha who has anointed his son in law, Uche Nwosu as his successor can not hand him the party ticket if direct primaries are adopted.
They said, Okorocha himself may risk getting the Senatorial ticket he is rooting for as the scenario that played out in the Congresses where the carpet was pulled off his legs will be repeated if indirect primaries are used. It is feared that should that happened and he leaves APC, it means the party will record total failure in the entire South East Zone.
