2019: MORE SENATORS THREATEN TO DUMP APC
2019: MORE SENATORS THREATEN TO
DUMP APC
Some
senators are threatening to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress should
the party fail to adopt direct primaries for the 2019 elections, PREMIUM TIMES
has learnt.
Some of
the lawmakers who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES warned that the party will
experience mass defection if it fails to adopt the direct primaries.
They
alleged that some governors are applying pressure on the national leadership of
the party to adopt indirect primaries to choose candidates for the 2019
elections.
If the
party adopts the usual indirect primary, the senators said, the party will lose
its majority status at the Senate. For them, the only way to reclaim leadership
of the senate is an assurance of direct primaries by the party.
Direct
primaries involves the participation of all party members in the selection of
party candidates while indirect primaries involves use of delegates, often party
leaders at local levels and political appointees as well as elected officials,
to elect party candidates.
The APC
used the direct primaries to elect its governorship candidate in Osun for next
month’s governorship election. Prior to that, it often used the indirect
primaries system.
The ruling
party will on Thursday hold its first National Executive Committee (NEC)
meeting since Senate President Bukola Saraki left the party.
The
meeting is expected to deliberate on the party’s preparation for the 2019 elections
especially its primaries.
APC NEC,
the second highest organ of the ruling party, comprises the president, vice
president, governors elected under the platform of the party as well as
chairpersons of the party in the 36 states.
DIRECT OR
INDIRECT PRIMARIES
Controversy over the choice of primaries for the party started in July when the
chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, declared the party will adopt direct primary method
in Osun State in choosing a candidate ahead of the state’s governorship
election.
Mr
Oshiomhole said the method remains the “most democratic way of handling the
primary.”
The party
went ahead employing the method to choose its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, but
the process did not go down well with some of the aspirants.
Prominent
among the voices against the method was the Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Lasun Yusuf, who was runner up in the primary.
“I did not
accept the outcome of the primary election. Why would I accept that kind of
primary, where a direct primary was conducted in my state, one week after
another form of primary was conducted in another state.
“And I
hope the chairman will wake up. That chairman is going to destroy that party.
The chairman of that party is going to destroy it,” the lawmaker said.
However,
many lawmakers, especially those who fell out with their governors in the last
state congresses, wants the party to adopt direct primaries to choose
candidates for the 2019 election.
MASS
DEFECTION AWAITS – LAWMAKERS
Three
senators who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES expressed fears over the possibility of
deploying indirect primaries for the APC primaries.
They
alleged that some governors are laying pressure on the party leadership to
deploy indirect primaries in order to replace them come 2019.
One of the lawmakers who spoke on condition of anonymity said the party should
brace itself for mass defection if the NEC resolves to adopt indirect
primaries.
“I am
aware the National Chairman and members of the NWC are under pressure from
state governors to adopt indirect primaries. Most of us suffered injustice
during the Congress. Till this moment, the leadership is yet to resolve the
issues. We will not tolerate injustice again.
“For me,
the next NEC meeting is a make or mar meeting for our party. The APC has
assured us of justice through direct primaries. If the party bows to governors,
we will have no option than to leave the party. It will be mass exodus,” the
senator said.
In July,
14 APC senators left the party with at least 12 joining the major opposition,
PDP.
Few weeks
after their defection, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, also announced his
defection to PDP.
Following
his announcement, some senators and leaders of the APC have continued to mount
pressure on Mr Saraki to relinquish his position since his party does not have
majority at the senate.
Another
senator who prefers not to be named said the party will lose its majority
status at the Senate if the governors have their way.
The
senator said the governors are ready to replace up to 90 per cent of the
federal lawmakers if the party allows delegates to choose candidates for the
party.
“With the
war that exist between the party and Saraki, the party has confidentially
resolved to return the senators because it is dangerous to come back on 25th
when some people don’t have assurances.
“The
governors have their individual agenda because the people whom they want cannot
win election by direct primaries. If you cannot win by direct primary, it means
that you are unpopular and the party cannot bring people who cannot win
election.
“The party
will be heading into trouble because it will be the Senate Presidency that will
be at stake at the National Assembly. The point is that if you have an indirect
primary election, the governors will replace up to 90 per cent of existing
federal legislatures. Now, that will be playing into the hands of the PDP,” the
lawmaker said.
The
senator said the party risks losing at least 20 senators if it tolls the line
of indirect primary.
“The moment the Senate resumes, the conflicting figure we have now is that PDP
are saying they are the majority, APC are saying they are the majority, what do
you take for consideration? We have up 20, 30 APC senators without a ticket and
they have nothing to lose (if they leave the party).
“Let us
get there first, because we were kept in the party on the promise that it is
going to be a direct primaries. If the party says Saraki must go, who is going
to remove Saraki, is it the governors? We are in a tango. The governors must
concede, they must keep their heads down.
“We’ll see
what happens but I can tell you that the Saraki group are waiting for those
eliminated in the APC to join them.”
Another
senator, Shehu Sani, expressed his dislike for indirect primary in a statement
sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.
“Indirect
Primaries is a boulevard to corruption. It’s a seed to imposition, manipulation
and systematic desecration of the anti-corruption crusade of the government and
the party.
“Indirect
Primaries is a bidding process, a slave market and an auction house where price
tag is placed to honour,” he noted.
Urging all
members of the party to reject the method, Mr Sani described it as a “final
step to consolidate a fraudulent congresses.”
APC At
Liberty To Choose – Ambode
The Lagos
State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, has said that the party is at liberty to
employ either direct or indirect primary in choosing its candidates.
He said
this while responding to questions from journalists after an APC caucus meeting
on Wednesday.
“The fact
remains that the constitution of our party allows us to carry out our primaries
and elections using direct or indirect primaries.
“We cannot
disagree with the constitution so either direct or indirect primaries, you are
at liberty to justify the choice you want to pick, once it suits your purpose
and in line with constitution as the state determines.
“The whole
essence is for us to deepen democracy and also allow our members to participate
in this whole process. The idea is once you have party members that are able to
take decisions on who should represent them, I think we would have gone a step
higher and better than other parties, that makes us a better party,” he said.
DECISION
WILL BE MADE THURSDAY – APC
When
contacted, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena,
said the party will take a position on the issue on Thursday.
“We’ll
know the position of the party after tomorrow’s NEC meeting. The party has
already made a proposal, it’s going to be either direct or indirect primary,”
he said.
