The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress on Tuesday released its approved mode of primaries for 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory for Saturday’s governorship primaries.
According to the list, the direct method, which involves all registered card carrying members of the party; and the indirect mode where elected and statutory delegates take part, will be used.
The APC NWC released the list of approved methods in a statement by the party’s acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, in Abuja.
The states that are to elect their governorship candidates via the direct method are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Ekiti, Imo and Kano.
Others are Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Taraba, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory.
States that got the nod to pick candidates using the indirect mode are Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina and Kebbi.
Others are Nasarawa, Oyo, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto and Yobe.
Before the Tuesday directive of the APC NWC, some state chapters of the party, including Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Imo and Bauchi, had adopted indirect primaries
The Ogun State chapter of the APC had, at a meeting attended by the state executive of the party, leaders and lawmakers on Thursday, opted for indirect primaries.
In Imo, Governor Rochas Okorocha-backed state executive had said it preferred the indirect primaries despite the opposition of stakeholders, including Senator Hope Uzodima.
The requests of state chapters of the party in Adamawa, Kaduna, Oyo and Rivers for indirect primaries were, however, approved by the NWC.
It was gathered that the NWC, after weighing options available to it, decided to change the methods in some states.
It was further learnt that such was the case in Imo State where the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha hails from, as the NWC opted for direct primaries.
A highly placed member of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists on the issue, said the decision had to be taken to save the party from implosion.
The source said, “The case of Imo, especially, had to be handled carefully because it is currently our stronghold in the South-East. We decided that we must take a position which will encourage members to remain in the fold. We went for direct primary for two reasons.
“One, we have cases in court arising from the last state congresses. We have learnt a thing or two from the legal tussle between the former National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and the Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
Source: Punch