Ahead of tomorrow's National Executive Committee (NWC) meeting
of the All Progressives Congress (APC), indications were that the party would go
for the delegate system to elect candidates for the 2019 general elections.
Following the meeting of APC national caucus at the
Presidential Villa on Tuesday night, the leaders agreed in principle to adopt
indirect primary option as provided for in the constitution and to also allow
the NWC the discretion to grant states wishing to use direct primary to do so.
It was gathered that the National Executive Council (NEC)
meeting would be expected to provide guidelines and conditions on which states
may be allowed to apply direct primary election.
While giving insight on what may likely be the
decision of APC NEC, former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brigadier
Mohammed Marwa (rtd), said the issue of method of primaries was part of what
was discussed at the national caucus meeting, and that it has been referred to
NEC for final decision.
Marwa, who spoke at his daughter’s formal declaration of intent to vie for the
ticket for the House Representatives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),
said: “We discussed extensively at the meeting of the national caucus, and we
were of the belief that there are circumstances that could favour the use of
direct primaries in some places and in some others places, indirect primaries
and this is so in the party's constitution but that will left at the discretion
of the NWC. As I said, there will be guidelines on when to apply direct or
indirect primaries, and that will be specified by the NEC to the satisfaction
of every one."
On whether the issue of method for the primaries will lead to
hot exchanges at the NEC meeting, Marwa said: "I am absolutely confident
that when the NEC meets tomorrow (today), the decision it will come up, and will
be satisfactory to all.”
Marwa, who also spoke of the chances of APC in the next
presidential election, especially with the spate of defections in the ruling
party, said as far he is concerned, the reelection of President Muhammadu
Buhari in 2019 is a forgone conclusion.
As at Wednesday, there seemed to be no letting off the steam
as leaders of the APC engaged in last minute lobbying to make sure that
decisions at the NEC meeting do not trigger off crisis.
It was learnt that the issue was hotly debated at
the last Tuesday night meeting of APC national caucus but no decision was
reached.
A source, who was privy to discussion at the meeting,
said four governors who spoke at the meeting opposed the use of direct primary
method.
Imo State Governor and Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum,
Rochas Okorocha, who spoke on behalf of others governors, defended the choice
of indirect primaries, saying it would save the party the trouble of having to
contend with logistics challenges that go with direct method.
Also, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State said
direct primaries would be cumbersome and may have serious ripple effect for the
party to handle.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State also
opposed direct primary, saying the timing was not right for its introduction.
Akeredolu whose position ran contrary to that of the
APC national leader and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, wondered at the
reason for the haste in seeking to introduce direct primary at this late hour.
Even those who had expected President Buhari to expressed his
preference during the meeting were disappointed because the president held his
views close his chest, perhaps waiting for the defining moment during the NEC
meeting.
However, those agitating for direct primary appeared to have
pitted some of the South-west stakeholders against party members from other
zones.
Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, the
National Vice Chairman of APC for Northeast, Mustapha Saliu, said contrary to
the insinuation by some stakeholders who said the party has decided to adopt
direct primary, no decision on the issue was taken by either the NWC or the
national caucus.
He stated that while the majority of the
stakeholders were against the use of direct primary because of its cumbersome
nature, only some party leaders from the Southwest have been pushing for its
adoption.
Saliu said everyone appreciateed the value of direct
primaries but for the difficulties that go with it.
He noted that the issue of modalities for party primaries would
be resolved at today's NEC meeting.
Saliu said: "I am aware that some members of the House
of Representatives from certain part of the country are circulating text
messages to their colleagues that a decision has been reached on the nature of
the primary to be used by the party.
The APC chieftain said though the NWC deliberated on the
matter, it did not take any final decision but will present its suggestions to
the NEC for final resolution.
"The reason why I am doing this is that some people are
trying to mislead members of the public claiming that some decision came from
the party or an organ of the party. Any decision that will come from the party
will be disseminated officially from the spokesperson of the party. We should
wait for the outcome of the NEC meeting,” he said.
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