The All Progressives Congress, APC was at the
weekend headed for a serious crisis following
strong reservations among its major
presidential candidates over the procedure
for adopting the 2015 presidential candidate
for the party.
At the end of a National Executive
Committee, NEC meeting of the party last
weekend, the party was unable to forge a
consensus on the issue with associates of the
major aspirants reportedly holding on to
their positions.
Two of the major presidential aspirants, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari and former vice-
president Atiku Abubakar,
Vanguard learnt were at the head of the
major divisions over the adoption of a
consensus or the conduct of primaries for the
adoption of the presidential candidate. The
other major aspirants, notably, Governor
Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano State and Mr. Sam
Nda-Isaiah are reportedly indifferent.
Yesterday, aides of Governor Adams
Oshiomhole of Edo State, who is also set to
enter the fray were largely mute on the
issue, as one said it was too premature to
express a position given the fact the governor
is yet to formally declare his intention.
Buhari wants consensus candidacy.
Party sources disclosed that Buhari’s
associates in the party were pushing for
consensus on the fact that majority of the
party positions across board were filled with
consensus. On the other hand, the Buhari
supporters are praying that if the consensus
arrangement is jettisoned for any reason that
a direct primary involving all 18 million
registered members of the party be held.
Their point is being strongly opposed by
Atiku’s growing supporters within the party
hierarchy who say that a direct primary would
be unwieldy, costly. Rather, the Atiku camp
has proposed what it called a Modified Direct
Primary that would involve about 20,000
delegates choosing the party candidate. That
prospect is feared by the Buhari camp who
claimed that it would offer opportunity to
easily woo or take over delegates hitherto
pledged to other aspirants.
According to the Buhari supporters, the
introduction of full direct primary would limit
the prospect of Atiku wooing the delegates
unlike a modified primary that could see
Atiku and his agents now in the field winning
the number of delegates.
“Having carefully examined our great
party” the APC constitution, especially
Article 20 and the Electoral Act 2010, one
comes to the inevitable conclusion that it
is better to adopt consensus in electing
our candidates for House of Assembly,
House of Representatives, Senate,
Governor and presidential candidates and
where it fails to adopt direct primary,” a
major Buhari supporter in the NEC told
selected newsmen last weekend.
“It is on record that more than 80% of the
ward, local government area and state
congresses which produced the current
executives of our great party were
conducted through consensual
arrangement. And more than 95% of the
current National Executive Committee
were elected via consensus,” he said
“When one considers the bitterness,
rancour and bad blood indirect primary
will most likely generate, it becomes safer
to work towards a consensual agreement.
We must at all times bear in mind that we
are being hunted and that those who
boasted to rule Nigeria for 60 years
uninterrupted, are still hell bent to scuttle
the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians
for genuine ideological regime change.
“We must take note that our challenger,
the ruling party has just announced the
nomination of the incumbent President as
its candidate by consensus means and
they had commenced presidential
campaign with vigour and dexterity”.
Atiku at the weekend, however, pledged his
determination to abide by any democratic
procedure adopted by the party even as he
canvassed the advantages of the Modified
Direct Primaries.
In an email statement issued to
correspondents on the issue by his media
aide, Mallam Garba Shehu, the Atiku camp
said:
“Our candidate is a democrat. What he is
opposed to is any undemocratic process
going by the name of consensus,
imposition or anointment. Back in the PDP,
if you remember, he dragged the party to
court and won on these issues with a
resounding victory.
Atiku’s camp proposes Modified Direct
Primary
“The decision of our campaign to support
the Modified Direct Primary is not because
of anything but for its practical
applicability.
“If you say you want direct primary, how
can you get all 18 million registered APC
voters to take part?
“That would mean you will be setting up a
vote in every polling booth, doing the
same thing as INEC is doing. It will be the
same thing as a general election.Where do
you have the resources, the manpower,
the time and the security support for
this?”
“Secondly, don’t forget that the figure of
the registered members is not a settled
issue in many states. There are many
places in which it is being disputed.
Besides, it keeps changing everyday. New
members are coming in and some are also
leaving us. How do you deal with this?”
“Those who argue for direct primaries also
need to factor in the fact that there is no
way you take the process from the hands
of governors if you allow it to take place in
the states. Genuine fears on the part of
some people is that in nearly each state,
they may just end up writing the results
or where this is not possible, breathe
down on the necks of local officials to do
as they wish.”
“The Modified Direct Primary cannot on
the other hand be faulted as being
undemocratic because the delegates
coming forward, as proposed, are all
elected officials. There is no dispute
concerning their status as elected officials.
For this reason alone, they are credible
because they are representative of their
wards. We support it because we believe it
is broad enough to make for popular
representation.”
“Even at this, 20,000 delegates is still a
large number to bring under one roof,
considering that even the PDP brings
together between four to five thousands
delegates only for the their presidential
primaries.
