BREAKING: APC GOVS REJECT DIRECT PRIMARY AS NEC MEETING HOLDS
BREAKING:
APC GOVS REJECT DIRECT PRIMARY AS NEC MEETING HOLDS
Six
governors of the All Progressives Congress may be heading for a collision
course with the leadership of the party over their alleged rejection of the
direct primary option to elect candidates of the APC at all levels ahead of the
2019 general elections.
A
source, who is a chieftain of the party, told our correspondent on
Thursday that the six governors, on Wednesday night, met with
the Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, and held a private discussion with
him on the issue ahead of today’s meeting of the National Executive Committee
of the party.
The
source who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of
the issue, explained that two of the governors who met Oshiomhole are from the
North Central, one from the North West, and one each from the South East, South
West and North East.
The
party chief said, “They told Oshiomhole that they were opposed to direct
primary election. All of them, except the governor from the North East, said
they have problems with their people and that there is a possibility that they
and their candidates may not get the party’s ticket if they should embrace the
direct primary election.
“They
also expressed fears that the APC may lose their states if the party adopts the
direct primary approach to pick the candidates.”
The
source however said that, “The APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole was firm and
resolute on the issue.”
According
to him, Oshiomhole told the governors that President Muhammadu Buhari and the
national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are also in full support of
direct primary.
The
source said that the governors therefore threatened that they may not allow
direct primaries in their state and that they would restate their position at
today (Thursday’s) NEC meeting of the party.
“Oshiomhole
told them that if they will not allow direct primary, the party will write INEC
and send the list of aspirants who are ready for the election. You can see that
the battle line has been drawn as they have vowed to restate their stand at the
NEC of the meeting today,”The source added.
