Politics

2019: Crisis rocks APC

 

…as Kwara party elders rejects indirect primary

*It’s contrary to stakeholders’ position – Moshood Mustapha

By Mumini AbdulKareem

Trouble appears to be looming in the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the country over alleged imposition of the mode of primary to be adopted by states in picking its gubernatorial candidates.

This is coming just as the elders of the party in Kwara State, yesterday rejected the alleged decision of the national leadership to foist indirect primary on the state.

Direct primaries involve all card carrying members of the party electing its candidates while indirect primaries adopt the use of delegates to elect party candidates.

But against the position of some top governorship aspirants and stakeholders in the state, the National Working Committee (NWC) this week approved direct primary for Kwara ahead of its governorship primaries scheduled to hold across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday.

In many states where the state governors are in battle with rivals such as senators and other influential politicians, the ruling party appears to have favoured the stance of the governors which was glaring in states such as Adamawa, Kaduna and Imo.

In Adamawa, top politicians like the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and former anti-graft commission, EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, had requested direct primaries while the party leadership backed by incumbent governor Bindow Jibrilla called for indirect primaries. The APC national headquarters however approved indirect primaries.
For Kaduna State, aspirants like Sen. Shehu Sani though insisted on direct primaries while the party’s leadership in the state backed by the incumbent governor, Nasir El-Rufai, called for indirect primaries but the APC headquarters approved indirect primaries.

Meanwhile, the party elders in Kwara State have called on the national leadership to heed the wishes of the members and adopt direct primary for the selection of the governorship candidate in the state.

The elders made their position known at a news conference held in Ilorin.

According to Alhaji Lasisi Jimoh (LAK), who read the statement on behalf of others, direct primary would enhance the chances of APC in winning elections in the state.

He said they are opposed to anything that will impede chances of winning elections in 2019 like the indirect primary adding that all aspirants should be allowed to go to the field and test their popularity among members of the party.

He, therefore, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole not to succumb to any obnoxious pressure to sabotage the chances of the party.

“Today in Kwara, APC is the party to beat and we no longer want imposition of candidates. The world should know that Kwara APC does not want anything short of direct primary to elect its flag bearer,” Jimoh said.

He added that leaders and stakeholders of APC were in Abuja to meet the national leaders of the party where they made their preference of direct primary known to them.

“It is of relevance to know that at no time was any dissenting voice(s) raised against adopting direct primary model. It was therefore a rude shock to all loyal and dedicated members of the party when the media were filled with the news that Kwara state was one of the states that opted for indirect primary.

He said the decision to thrust on Kwarans the unpopular indirect Primary model is unacceptable, a rape on our collective sense of humanity as a people and a contradiction to the principle of fairness and justice.

“The loud voice for the people of Kwara is “restore our wish for Direct Primary, stem impunity, stop the drift to intra-party anarchy and bring back our pride and our right,” Jimoh added.

State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Folaranmi Aro told journalists that the executive members have not jettisoned direct primary in selecting the flag bearer of the party on Saturday.

He said the executive and elders of the party met with the aspirants on the modality to be used, adding that all the aspirants rejected consensus method.

Angry party members trooped to the party secretariat carrying placards denouncing adoption of indirect primary.

The inscriptions on the placards read; “Kwara APC support direct primary”, say no to indirect primary” and all aspirants support direct primary among others.

Meanwhile, a gubernatorial aspirant of the APC in the 2019 election, Hon Moshood Mustapha said the decision to adopt indirect primaries in Kwara by the national leadership is contrary to the position of  stakeholders in the state.

Speaking exclusively to National Pilot on the matter, Mustapha said the party at the national level had said the stakeholders in the state should decide what form of primaries should be adopted adding that the consensus position was direct primaries both in Kwara South, Central and among other stakeholders in the state.

He said indirect primary was a complete departure from what was agreed upon by all stakeholders. According to him, some stakeholders believed direct primary is the best and most transparent way of conducting rancour free primary and unite the party.

On his next step if the party insists on indirect primary, he said “We are loyal party members and we have to abide with the decision of the party. If they refused, we won’t leave the party or create any problem but we have to change our tactics.

“Hitherto, our plans and all our efforts were geared toward having direct primaries which I think is the common position of the aspirants and the party members. But now that the party has come with a different position and the time is very short, they are going to put a lot of people in difficult position. But as far as we are concerned, whichever way the party chooses, we don’t have any choice because we are loyal party members”.

Other APC gubernatorial aspirates who reacted to the issue were Hakeem Lawal amd Ambassador Yahaya Seriki

Lawal who reacted through his media aide, Femi Yusuf said “The information get to us late yesterday (Tuesday) and we are yet to get the details. So whatever it is whether direct or indirect, may God chose somebody that will lead us to where we are going for us in our part. This will not destroy our party but make us stronger, we are discussing” he noted.

Seriki said he would abide by whatever the national body decides adding that whether direct or indirect primary, “if you are loved by your people, you don’t have to be scared. So we are ready.

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