2019: Adamawa APC stakeholders reject indirect primaries

The All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Adamawa State have rejected the indirect primary election opted for by the State Government to pick candidates that will fly the party’s flag in the 2019 general election.

The stakeholders led by a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal also said that the group was marginalized from all meetings in the state and were not carried along saying that the ruling party’s congresses in the state earlier in the year, were hijacked by the Adamawa state government.

The stakeholders comprising aspirants, statutory delegates and other major stakeholders lamented that respectable stakeholders in the party have been increasingly marginalized and party activities and processes carried out in secrecy to exclude legitimate interests.

In a world press conference on Saturday in Abuja, Babachir Lawal said that this policy of exclusion was as a result of purported meeting of the state executives committee held at the Government House on Monday, September 3rd, where indirect primaries was allegedly adopted as mode of electing party flag bearers in the 2019 general elections.

“That meeting was convened secretly and thus, we the undersigned aspirants, statutory delegates and critical stakeholders were kept in the dark and were not invited.

“We, as aspirants, statutory delegates and stakeholders want to unequivocally dissociate ourselves from the purported resolution which was done in bad faith and is bound to affect the image and chances of our great party in the forthcoming elections”, Babachir said.

The stakeholders aligned with the national headquarters of the APC, commending the party leadership which adopted the direct primary option, stressing that a larger majority of APC members in the state were in support of the decision.

“Our members are pleased that they are going to help the party in nominating credible, acceptable and marketable candidates to fly the party’s flag. We, therefore, cannot allow unpopular persons who are afraid of voters to change the rule of the game.

“The focus of the APC government on integrity exemplified by transparency, accountability and total eradication of corrupt practices should have no room for indirect primaries.

It is in his commitment to the culture of probity and accountability that President Muhammadu Buhari opted for direct primaries.

As we stated in our letter to our dear national chairman and National Executive Committee (NEC), we affirm support for direct primaries based on our firm belief that encapsulates the following among other merits”.

Members of the group at the briefing includes a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a current governorship aspirant in the 2019 election, Dr. Mahmoud Halidu and Senators Abubakar Halilu Girei and Ahmed Abubakar Mo’Allayidi.

Others are a former governorship candidate in the state on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria; Engr. Markus Gundiri, Bello Tukur, Engr. Marcus Gundiri and Sadiq Muhammed (Walin Ganye).