APC backtracks, adopts direct primary for all elective positions

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it never adopted indirect primary for all elective positions but for the presidential election.

Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau state, had told journalists that the decision to adopt indirect primary was reached during the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

Indirect primary election is when delegates choose the party’s candidate while direct primary is a process where interested members of the party vote for a candidate.

Lalong had said: “The constitution of the party provides for either direct, indirect or consensus but for the presidential election we all agreed that we will adopt direct primaries for the presidential election.”

But Yekini Nabena, acting spokesman of the party, told journalists on Friday that on the contrary, the party NEC resolved to use direct primary in all cases.

He added that states who prefer indirect primaries would be allowed to take a decision on it.

Nabena said: “The 30th August 2018 resolution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) on the mode of primary election has been subject to inference and misleading interpretations.

“As an update to the earlier released statement, we wish to make the following clarifications on NEC’s resolutions on mode of primary election: “Primary elections into all elective offices shall be by direct primaries.

“NEC resolved to adopt direct primaries for the nomination of the presidential candidate and all other primaries.

“The party’s constitution though provides for indirect election and consensus, however, the use of indirect primaries is conditional and dependent on logistic impediments, peculiarities and need of a given state that makes it unable to use direct primaries.”

He said for states that want to go for indirect primaries, the state executive committee (SEC) of the party shall in consultation with aspirants and other critical stakeholders seek the national working committee’s (NWC) approval to adopt it.

“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,” he said.

“Direct primaries will, among others, ensure fairness, 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.”