Yobe, Plateau, Zamfara APC adopt indirect primaries

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe State has adopted indirect elections for the party’s primaries to select candidates for the 2019 general elections.
This development was contained in a letter 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, September 4 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.
The Plateau State chapter of the party also adopted the indirect method of primaries.
The party unanimously adopted the position at an expanded stakeholders meeting on Wednesday in Jos.
Mr Johnclerk Dabwan, former Speaker of the Plateau House of Assembly, moved the motion for the adoption of the indirect primaries and was seconded by Mr Azi Pate, the party chairman in Jos East Local Government.
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.
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 Prof. Sonni Tyoden, Deputy governor, his immediate predecessor, Ignatius Longjan, as well as former and serving lawmakers in the state.
Also, Zamfara State chapter has adopted indirect primaries.
The party Chairman in the state, Alhaji Lawal M-Liman, disclosed this after a meeting of stakeholders of the party held at the Government House in Gusau on Wednesday.
M-Liman said: “we met today with all stakeholders of our great party in this state on the mode of primaries to be adopted ahead of the upcoming party primary elections.
“We unanimously resolved to adopt the indirect primaries.
“The National Executive Council of our party, asked us to come back and contact our people on which mode of primaries to adopt.
“In the interest of our members and stakeholders in the state, we are going to adopt indirect primaries or consensus where necessary.”
He urged members of the party to be more united in order to achieve victory in the 2019 general elections and retain power.
Four of the governorship aspirants in the state on Tuesday met and resolved to work together, agreeing to support any of them that may pick the party’s ticket.
The aspirants are the Deputy Governor, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, Speaker, House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji; Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Muttaka Rini and Rep. Aminu Sani-Jaji.