We’re Not Fighting NASS Over Direct Primary – APC Governors’ Forum
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum has said that contrary to insinuations making the rounds, members of the Forum are not in any way fighting the National Assembly over the controversy surrounding the Direct Party Primary in the Electoral Act amendment bill passed by the Federal Legislators.
The two chambers of the National Assembly amended the Electoral Act capturing the provision for Direct Party Primary in order to return power to the people as against the leaders foisting candidates on the party through “Indirect Party Primary”.
Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, said that the fact that the National Assembly accommodated Direct Primary for all political parties does not connote and should not be misunderstood to mean that the governors are out to fight the federal legislator.
Bagudu, who was a Senator, described the divergent views exhibited by the governors and members of the National Assembly on the matter as democracy in action and not division between the states’ chief executives and federal parliamentarians.
He further said; “I had also spoken about the issue of direct primary severally. The divergent opinions we had was democracy in action. The governors and the people had shown their concerns and that was what we did.
“We are not fighting the National Assembly or anybody over direct primary; we were just making our views and concerns known on the matter”.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila had said that the National Assembly opted for Direct Party Primary in order to give the people particularly the youth a voice and the chance to participate in governance and political party administration.
Gbajabiamila said that with Direct Party Primary, the incidences of godfatherism would be reduced to the barest minimum while the people would be the ones to determine who governs and or represents them.
President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to assent to the Bill as lobbyists for and against are working hard to get the president either withhold his assent or append his signature to the Bill.
