Why APC Must Avoid Indirect Primaries – Shehu Sani

Shehu Sani Gives Reasons APC Should Not Go For Indirect Primaries.

Senator representing Kaduna central district in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani has favoured Direct Primaries for the All Progressive Congress to choose flagbearers ahead of the 2019 general elections.

This is as Naija News learnt that there are those in favour as well as opposition to direct primaries by some APC members.

Shehu Sani in his opinion told the newsmen in Abuja yesterday that “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 said, urging all members of the party to reject the method.

Senator Sani described it as a “final step to consolidate a fraudulent congresses.”

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, a position which the Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole commended.

However, it is no longer a secret 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, political analysts say, about 20 or 30 Senators who have scores to settle with their state governors, may not get the party’s tickets to return to the National Assembly in 2019.

They also noted that the governors have the financial resources and may deploy it to replace up to 90 per cent of the federal lawmakers if the party allows delegates to choose candidates for the party.