The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe and Plateau states have adopted indirect elections for the party’s primaries to select candidates for the 2019 general elections.
The development in Yobe was contained in a letter made available to journalists on Wednesday in Damaturu, signed by the party’s state chairman, Adamu Chilariye and the secretary, Abubakar Bakabe respectively.
The party said it adopted the indirect option following the party’s State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting on Tuesday in Damaturu, which “deliberated extensively on the needs and peculiarities of the state.
“The SEC also consulted widely with critical stakeholders of the party to adopt a unified position among options provided by the constitution of our great party,” it said.
The party attributed lack of updated membership register, owing to security challenges in the state, as an impediment to the adoption of direct elections for the party’s primaries.
The party also claimed that it lacked resources and time to conduct direct elections to meet the dateline provided by the national secretariat of the party.
“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.
Like Yobe, the Plateau chapter of the APC has also adopted the indirect method of primaries in choosing its candidates for elective positions in the 2019 elections.
The party unanimously adopted the position at an expanded stakeholders meeting on Wednesday in Jos.
Johnclerk Dabwan, former Speaker of the Plateau House of Assembly, moved the motion for the adoption of the indirect primaries and was seconded by Azi Pate, the party chairman in Jos East Local Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party had given the state chapters the privilege of deciding how to arrive at its candidates.
Among the options are direct and indirect primaries, as well as consensual agreement.
Dabwan, while arguing for indirect primaries, cited security challenge in the state as his major reason.
“Having gone through the provisions of our party’s constitution and the resolution of its National Executive Council where it suggested direct, indirect or consensus method in conducting our primaries, I want to move that Plateau should adopt indirect primaries.
“The security challenges currently bedeviling us will make direct primaries very difficult and cumbersome,” he said.
NAN reports that stakeholders at the meeting, through a voice vote, adopted the motion after Mr Latep Dabang, the state party chairman, put the question to vote.
Among senior party members at the meeting were Sonni Tyoden, he deputy governor; his immediate predecessor, Ignatius Longjan; as well as former and serving lawmakers in the state.
Unlike Yobe and Plateau, however, the APC in Kebbi says it has unanimously adopted consensus selection of candidates for the 2019 elections.
The Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Na’Allah, on Wednesday made this known after an emergency stakeholders’ meeting of the party in Birnin Kebbi.
“Sequel to the directive by the national secretariat of the APC that we should go back to our state and hold a state Executive Committee meeting to decide on the fate of our party primaries on either consensus or primaries, we have decided to do consensus.
“Where the consensus fails, we will do indirect primary election.
“But the seat of the president and state governor, we unanimously endorse President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Atiku Bagudu; that is our decision,” he said.
Also speaking, state Chairman of APC, Bala Kangiwa, described APC members in the state as one big family living in peace and unity.
“We are committed to safeguarding the peace and unity in our family,” he said.
Spokesman of the party, Sani Dododo, said rice farmers nationwide have resolved to purchase APC nomination form for Mr Buhari “while the people of Kebbi will procure nomination form for governor Bagudu.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that those in attendance at the meeting were Governor Atiku Bagudu, a senator, Adamu Aliero, former state governor , Sa’idu Dakingari, and deputy governor Sama’ila Yombe.
Also in attendance were former deputy governors Ibrahim Aliyu and Sulaiman Argungu, two senators, Na’Allah and Yahaya Abdullahi, as well as members of the House of Representatives and State Assembly, among others.
.NAN