Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar will slug it out for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in November in a modified direct primaries decided by 300,000 officials, chosen from the ward to national levels, to avoid corruption by moneybags.
Muhammed Buhari
The former head of state and former vice president are the top two contenders for the cake, despite the foray of others, including Sam Nda-Isaiah, publisher of Leadership.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, announced the adoption of modified direct primaries for all elective office aspirants in the party after its maiden National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, August 21.
Supporters of Buhari and Atiku took the centre stage at the meeting to market their candidates before the NEC members. Each group displayed posters of their man, dancing around with them.
Staggered primaries
Atiku Abubarka
Modified direct primaries is intended to guarantee fairness to all contenders, with the primaries staggered across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Mohammed said no fewer than 300,000 delegates will take part in the presidential primaries to ensure full participation, openness, and impartiality to all those who have thrown their hats into the ring to contest against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer in the ballot in February 2015.
“We would want to ensure the participation of a large section of our people,” he stressed.
“We have opted for what we call a modified direct primaries for the party. We call it modified because we are conscious of getting all our 20 million or thereabouts members to queue up, especially in areas where we have security challenges, like Yobe, Adamawa, and Borno States.
“We are working on a formula that would enable the largest members of our party to participate. We are not settling for delegates election. We want the grassroots to be involved in our primaries.
“We want to show the world that we are different, that our party is not only grassroots inspired, but that it would be free and fair.”
The result of the primaries will be ratified at the national convention of the party.
On Adamawa gov bye-election
On the Adamawa State governorship bye-election in October, a straight fight between the PDP and the APC, Mohammed said the emergency rule in the state for over 14 months should be relaxed, at least on the day of the vote.
He expressed concern over “the partisan role of certain government officials and security outfits” in the polity.
“We are not saying they should lift the state of emergency. We are saying the curfew must be suspended for the period of the election, especially in the northern part of Adamawa State.
“By 6pm the curfew is on. We are not confident that under such a condition, there would be a free and fair election. So we are asking the federal government to lift the curfew temporarily.”
Zones BoT chair to South East
In a related development, the APC has sketched a Board of Trustees (BoT) of 74 members, with the chairman pencilled to be from the South East, likely Ogbonnaya Onu, former Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
A source disclosed that the BoT met at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday, August 20 to tidy up plans for the election of the BoT executive and the NEC meeting, which held the following day.
Giving the BoT chair to the South East balances out the power structure in the APC, which zones political offices.
The post of national chairman is zoned to the South South, national secretary (North East), president (North), and vice president (South West).
The BoT members include Buhari, Atiku, former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, Onu, Bisi Akande, Audu Ogbeh, Tom Ikimi, Baba Magaji, Kawu Baraje, Tony Momoh, Timi Slyva, Yusuf Ali, Aminu Masari, and current and former APC governors.
The source said most of the members attended the meeting on August 20, but Ikimi sent his apologies, as he was out of the country.
Among issues discussed were guidelines for Adamawa governorship bye- election, impeachment plots against APC governors, and the modalities for the national convention.
Under the APC constitution, the role of the BoT is advisory and can only intervene in critical matters.
The BoT is expected to meet this week to elect its executives.
