BY AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly has declared that direct primaries remained the best option for the All Progressive Congress (APC), towards ensuring the emergence of a popular and credible candidates for the party that would be victorious in the 2019 general elections.
Sani also said that the safest, fairest and best thing is for aspirants within the APC to subject themselves to election by the people they are aspiring to represent except if such aspirants are afraid of the people.
The federal legislator, who was reacting to the stand of the Kaduna state APC to adopt indirect primaries in the state for the selection of its candidates in the 2019 general elections, said the position of the State chapter of the Party is but a request to the national Secretariat of the party.
According to him; “We have also made our position very clear. So, it is left for the national secretariat to take a position. The party has just concluded the State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting at which they read out a resolution that they prefer the indirect method in the forthcoming primary elections.
“Well, that is the state’s position and not the final say. The national headquarters requires that every state executive committees must submit a written request signed by state’s executive committee members, critical stakeholders as well as aspirants to various offices in the state.
“So far, out of these three categories of people, the state executive committee has taken its own stand. It is left for critical stakeholders and aspirants to state their own position on this matter.”
Sani also said that indirect primary is simply about the fear of the people, adding; “You don’t want to subject yourself to the people. It is the very fact that APC cannot change the political landscape of Nigeria by adopting a system of cash and carry.
“You pay to be elected. That must be fought if we want to instill discipline and orderliness in our democratic system, if we must make it possible for men of honour, principles and ideas to trump up into office through a credible and transparent process.”
Similarly, another aspirant for the Kaduna Central senatorial district, Alhaji Sani Saleh said that as an aspirant, he is opposed to indirect method of conducting the primaries because of obvious reasons.
According to him; “One of the reasons is the manner in which the congresses were conducted. It was conducted in such a way that certain individuals were given the opportunity to select the entire executive members from every ward and local government area in the state.
“It was not free and fair. So, I don’t think I will be doing justice to myself, to subject myself to general election under that condition.
“The second aspect is that there is litigation on the conduct of the congresses and if I subject myself to an election under this condition and I am elected by an illegal executive, then the whole thing will be an exercise in futility because it can be nullified by the court.”
