APC Moves To Stop Direct Primaries, Summons National Assembly Caucus

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has summoned the National Assembly caucus of the party to a meeting to allegedly stop the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act that would allow for direct primaries for political parties.

It’s gathered that after careful consideration of the alteration to the constitution that would compel political parties to conduct their primary elections through direct primaries, the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the party is worried that, it would spell doom for the APC.

Consequently, a letter, titled “Notice of meeting: Executive /Legislative /Party Consultative Committee, addressed to the Majority Leader of the House, Alhassan Doguwa and dated November 4, 2021, would provide the forum that would enable them seek to stop the alteration, the source who showed the letter to the media on condition of anonymity said.

Signed by the APC National Secretary, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, the letter read in part, “I’m directed by His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni, Chairman, Caretaker /Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the APC, to invite you and the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives to a meeting of the above stated Committee as follows: Tuesday November 9, 2021, time: 5pm prompt, Venue: Presidential Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja, it is expected that you will extend this invitation to the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives.

“The meeting aims at strengthening the synergy between the Executive, the legislature and the party.”

Another source revealed to journalists that the meeting is to harmonize the position of the two chambers before the National Assembly harmonises its position before it’s passed into law.

Speaking on the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan said, “For us in the PDP, what the APC is trying to do on this issue is to export its problems to other political parties.

“We are not in a dictatorship, the beauty of democracy is the ability to present options for people to choose from.

“We will continue to explore legitimate means of ensuring that the APC does not destroy what is left of our democratic rights as a people.”

The APC National Secretary, Akpanudoedehe, was not available for comment.