He said many of the Senators felt deceived by the APC leadership and are gearing up for a showdown with the governors over the primaries of the party. But Speaking on the development, Senators Kabiru Marafa from Zamfara State told Saturday Sun that since the party has revealed that states in crises are allowed to decide which option to go with, he was confident that governors who are at war with party chieftains will not have their way.
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He said: “The Deputy National Chairman for North West of APC, in an interview I listened to on BBC Hausa Service, said states where there are crises, the party leadership can determine which option to adopt between direct and indirect primaries. In my state where there is crisis, we will have parallel primaries. During the congresses, we came up with two factions in Zamfara State. We will conduct direct primaries. The faction loyal to the Governor can conduct indirect primaries. I am already in court. In the end, the court will decide which one is legitimate.
“I am glad that the party is going for the direct primaries in electing the President. Let Nigerians who are members of APC decide his fate. I don’t trust the governors. They can work against the President. One thing is sure. These primaries will bring more crisis to the party.”
Senator John Enoh from Cross River state, on his part, said: “I am for anyone the party adopts. They have not adopted anyone yet. But if they go for direct or indirect primaries, I will support anyone. I don’t have any problems.”
But the former APC National Legal Adviser, Dr Muiz Banire, has warned that the recent adoption of direct primaries by the party to pick candidates for election is a good development but nobody should rejoice yet because there are still dangers ahead.
He said for the APC to switch from indirect mode of primaries to direct primaries, they will still need the approval of the party’s National Executive Committee.
He explained that in all states of the federation, right from the ward level, there would be an update of party register and members, and the way to do this is to give some measures of integrity to it, to display it which is also another imperative.
The immediate past chairman, Lagos State APC, Chief Henry Ajomale, commended the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu over the newly adopted direct primaries’ mode of picking the party’s candidates for elections.