2019: See 10 APC States That Have Adopted Indirect Primaries

As the 2019 elections fast approaches, no fewer than ten All Progressives Congress, APC, states have revealed the mode of Primaries it will adopt for the selection of its candidates in the elections.

The party, in a statement last week, ordered that the State Executive Committee (SEC) forward the mode of election it intends to adopt to the National Working Committee (NWC) for consideration and approval.

“In each case, the State Executive Committee (SEC) shall in consultation with candidates and other critical stakeholders of the Party in a given State identify and forward for the consideration and approval by the National Working Committee (NWC) for the mode of election to be adopted.

“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.

“The request for the selection of mode of election must be signed by majority of the Executive Committee in attendance at the meeting where such resolution is reached,” the statement by acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena read.

Primaries for all elective positions in the party is expected to hold within 24th September and 2nd October 2018.

The states that have decided to adopt the indirect mode of primaries so far include Kaduna State, Imo State, Nasarawa State, Kogi State, Ondo State, Plateau State, Borno State, Bauchi State, Adamawa State and Yobe State.

The APC in Kaduna State, today, Thursday, adopted indirect primaries for selecting its candidates after seeking the consent of party stakeholders.

The chairman of the party in the state, Emmanuel Jekada, in a statement in Kaduna said, “It’s in line with the above that the Kaduna working committee wishes to states that the Kaduna SEC adopted indirect Primary’ as the mode of conduct of the party primary elections in the state.”

He said the reasons the state could not adopt direct primaries, include absence of a comprehensive register of party members; past experience of significant disruption and controversy and over stretched the security agencies; and high cost of adopting the direct primaries.

Similarly, the Imo state Chapter of the APC, adopted the indirect primaries during an emergency meeting of SEC, at the Imo International Convention Center, IICC.

The Plateau State chapter while adopting the indirect method cited the security situation of the state as reason for the adoption.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello made the position of party in the state known during stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Lokoja, the state capital.

“I have never anointed any aspirants for any position. Forms are already on sale; any interested member of the party who is willing to contest elective positions on the platform of APC in Kogi State should go and buy their forms. The party will create a level-playing ground for all the aspirants so that we can achieve our set objectives,” he said

The Yobe state chapter in a letter made available to journalists on Wednesday in Damaturu said the lack of updated membership register, security challenges in the state, was the reason it opted for the indirect elections for the party’s primaries.

“Therefore, in view of the aforementioned factors, the SEC and the stakeholders have unanimously resolved to adopt the indirect election option for the primary.

“The SEC and stakeholders, therefore, resolved to forward these resolutions to the National Working Committee for approval,” the letter said.

The Ondo state chapter, after an extensive stakeholders meeting of the party held at the party secretariat on Oyemekun Road, Akure, the state capital said, “We unanimously adopted that any election that will be conducted in the state shall be indirect exercise, because party has no documents to back up the direct primaries and that’s why we arrived at indirect primaries in Ondo State.”

In Nasarawa, the decision was reached at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House on Wednesday in Lafia.

Aliyu Bello, the State Secretary of the party, told journalists that the decision to adopt the indirect option for the primaries was in recognition of time and political situation in the state.

In Bauchi, the state party chairman, Alhaji Uba Ahmed Nana after the party’s executive council meeting said, “We met with members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) and membership ‎of the committee was defined by the party’s constitution. These are the people we met with and we deliberated and resolved that the mode of primaries will be an indirect one. This is the position of Bauchi State chapter of the APC.”

Members of party in Borno and Adamawa states at separate events also resolved to adopt indirect primaries.

They both cited insecurity and lack of up-to-date membership register as reason for the adoption.