APC NWC, Caucus Set To Decide Mode Of Party Primaries This Week

APC Holds Crucial Meeting In Preparation For 2019

The National Working Committee (NWC) and National Caucus of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to  meet separately today in Abuja today.

The party organs are meeting to decide on the mode of elections for the forthcoming Presidential, Senate, House of Representatives, Governorship and State House of Assembly Primaries.

The Acting APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yekini Nabena, who  confirmed that the two meetings would hold ahead of the meeting of the party’s second highest decision making organ, National Executive Committee (NEC) on Thursday, however, declined to speak on the agenda of the meetings.

“When we get there, we will know the agenda. Let’s meet, first of all, so that you will have full information,” Nabena said after revealing that the NEC meeting was shifted to Thursday from Wednesday because of Federal Executive Council (FEC).

But party sources said the NWC would have to agree on the mode of elections to be adopted at the primaries as party stakeholders were divided on the issue, especially after the Osun State Governorship Primary Election where the APC adopted direct method that allowed all card-carrying members to participate in the decision to produce the gubernatorial candidate.

The NWC decisions on the mode and timetable for the primaries, it was gathered, would be discussed at today’s caucus meeting before its endorsement at Thursday’s NEC.

“Apart from the timetable for primaries, the modes of election either direct or indirect primaries will come up. Those are the issues the party is dealing with now,” an informed party source said yesterday.

Some key stakeholders within the party are reportedly, not comfortable with the direct primary system as against indirect or delegates system that gave the responsibility of producing the party’s candidates in the hands of elected delegates.

The APC, under Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC, had been adopting the indirect system to produce the party’s candidates for elections, before the coming of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who believed that direct system would curb the excesses of money bags politicians.

Naija News recalls that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuff, who was angered by the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship primary election which he lost, warned that Oshiomhole would destroy the party with his leadership style.

“Those who organised that primary know they are going to destroy that party. 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.

“Let me be specific, Comrade Oshiomhole is going to destroy APC. I have not spoken since that primary, but I am speaking now. Nobody can drive me out of that party. I am a member of APC. “I am going to stay right inside there, if the party is going to collapse, let it collapse on all of us. If it is going to survive, we are going to survive in it together,” Lasun said in anger.

Though the APC had not agreed on the method to be adopted, the party indicated in the notice sent to the electoral body that it would use either direct or indirect method to conduct presidential primary election.

The NEC, it was gathered, would endorse decisions Comrade Oshiomhole-led NWC had taken on behalf of the organ, especially its actions on party leadership in Imo, Kwara, Cross River, and Delta States among others as well as the recent defections in the National Assembly.