The All Progressives Congress National Working Committee appears to be in a dilemma over its adoption of indirect primary for its primary ahead of the November 19 governorship election in Kogi State.
A party source told Tribune Online that the Presidency and certain chieftains of the party are miffed over the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole stance to use the indirect option which has since compounded the crisis in the Kogi state chapter of the party.
Adopting the indirect option in a statement last Friday, the APC NWC said the decision was taken in deference to the party stakeholders in Kogi State.
The party maintained ” that the APC Constitution which was reemphasized by a decision of National Executive Committee (NEC) provides for three mode of primary election to elect party candidates – indirect, direct Primaries and consensus – depending on the peculiarities of the state and preferences of the stakeholders in respective elections.
But about 20 governorship aspirants stormed the party Secretariat on Monday with a petition, demanding for reversal of the adoption of the indirect primary which they claimed would only favour the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello.
Party source told Tribune in confidence that the aggrieved stakeholders in Kogi have since sent representation to the Presidency on the danger of the party suffering the same fate that befell it in Zamfara and Rivers state in the last general elections where it was precluded from fielding candidates in the last general elections.
It was gathered that the party national working committee held a meeting at its secretariat on Wednesday aimed at reviewing its position on the choice of indirect primary as option for the emergence of its candidates, based on the reservations of the Presidency.
Speaking with newsmen last night in a telephone interview, national publicity secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Isa-Onilu confirmed that the petition submitted by the aggrieved stakeholders was discussed but denied that the party would reverse itself on indirect primary.
“Wait for our statement. Yes, it was discussed but there is no plan to drop our choice of the indirect option.”