Electoral bill: Direct primary will cause anarchy in party elections, says PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the approval of direct primaries for political parties as a “plot to introduce anarchy during internal party elections”. 

On Tuesday, the senate approved that all political parties must use the direct primary mode in picking candidates.

The upper legislative chamber made the decision while amending four clauses in the electoral act amendment bill.

In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesperson, the party said the approval of direct primaries by the APC-led senate is a ” retrogression” of Nigeria’s democracy.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) describes the passage by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Senate of direct primary for the nomination of candidates for election, in all political parties, as a retrogressive provision that seeks to wipe off all the gains achieved in our electoral practice since 1999,” the statement reads.

“The party says the decision by the APC-controlled Senate is a humongous blow to the development of democratic norms and a plot to introduce anarchy during internal party elections as currently obtainable in the APC.

“The PDP holds that the provision is aimed at increasing the costs of nomination procedures thereby surrendering the processes to money bags against the wishes and aspiration of Nigerians.

“Our party makes bold to state that with the exception of the APC, which intends to deploy looted funds in future elections, hardly will there be any political party that will be able to raise the cost of conducting internal elections under a direct primary process.

“This is why the decision of the Senate has elicited widespread rejection from Nigerians across the board”.

The opposition party asked the senate to “immediately deploy its appropriate legislative instruments” to reverse the direct primary mode of party elections, adding it does not reflect the wishes of the majority of Nigerians.