APC reaffirms how presidential candidate will emerge

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has again clarified that the those aspiring for the party’s presidential ticket will go through direct primary.

APC National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, stated this in an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) at the weekend.

Buni said, “Both direct and indirect primaries are contained in our party constitution. In the presidential primary, we are going to start the direct method at the various ward levels, then we’ll conclude everything at the national convention.

“Other primaries such as that of the National Assembly, governors and members of the state Houses of Assembly depend on what the states want.

“The party executive at the state level would sit down and decide and then forward to us the method they want for approval.”

Dailypost reports that there is confusion in the party nationwide as to how candidates will emerge.

This is despite explanation of the decisions made by the National Executive Committee (NEC) as regards the mode of primaries.

APC had said: “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

“The adopted mode shall now be applied to all categories of the Party’s Primary Elections i.e. State Assembly, Senate, House of Representatives and for the Governorship Elections”.

But many chieftains, elected officials and members, have cried foul, insisting that subjecting some states and positions to indirect primaries was to enable certain persons determine winners.

On Sunday, a statement by Yekini Nabena, APC National Publicity Secretary, confirmed that the NEC decisions had triggered an internal crisis.

He disclosed that the party had received information that some members were working against the NEC resolutions.

Nabena noted: “The identities of those plotting such meetings have been identified and unless they desist from such they will be dealt with in line with the Party’s Constitution at the appropriate time.

“The NWC will resist any attempt to disrupt the current peace and harmony prevailing in our great Party after the exit of some members of our Party.

“We urge any member who is not satisfied with the decisions of the Party to utillize channels provided by the Party’s constitution to air their views.”