By Onyebuchi Ezigbo
The leadership of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has threatened to sue the All Progressives Congress (APC) for adopting both direct and indirect mode of primary election.
APC had approved the use of direct and indirect mode of primary elections for its state chapters in conducting primaries for aspirants seeking its tickets in the coming 2019 general elections.
The party’s move was also in compliance with the resolution of its National Executive Committee allowing state chapters the option to choose the modality that will be suitable for them.
However, quoting section 83 of the electoral act, the National Chairman of Zenith Labour Party, Dan Nwanyanwu said that the APC breached the law by using both direct and indirect primaries for their candidates nomination process.
He said that the electoral act stated that a party could use direct or indirect primary election process and not both, adding that by adopting both procedures, the party had breached the electoral act.
The party chairman who issued the threat on Friday in Abuja, during the unveiling of ZLP, one of the newly registered political parties said, “Three political parties wanted to use direct and indirect primary’s and it is against the law. Section 87(3) says that for direct primary, all candidates must be given equal opportunity while for the indirect, the act went further to state the criteria
“But the party that is ruling us, the APC is using both. Our lawyers are already waiting. You cannot use both legal and illegal primaries, it is unconstitutional and illegal. We must obey the law,” he said.
Nwanyanwu who addressed a crowded hall full of party supporters stated that ZLP was monitoring the activities of the ruling party, adding that if the party did not reverse its decisions before the 9th of October, then ZLP would have no option than to drag them before the law.
ZNL further argued that APC went as far as allowing the state executives, an entity unknown to the electoral act to take decisions on behalf of the party, a development he described as an anomaly.
“We are breaking laws everyday even as it affects other political parties. This is why zenith party will challenge it in the court” Nwanyanwu emphasised.
The party leader described the just concluded Osun governorship election as a charade and a mockery of democratic process.
He said, “Osun State election unfortunately, in just seven polling units yesterday brought out the ugly side of our political culture. There was the use of government apparatus to subvert the will of the people. What could have been a plus to INEC ended up as a disaster.
He urged the President to urgently accent to the electoral act, which will lead to implementing the full electronic voting system.
He said that the act would end ballot boxes, declaration of public holidays for voting purposes, snatching of ballot boxes, heavy deployment of security agents and cost of running elections will be reduce drastically.
Present at the event were former Secretary of Labour Party, Barr. Kayode Ajulo, Civil Society Activist Ariyo Atoye, Alhaji Umaru Aliyu who is the party’s Gov. Aspirant in Nassarawa. Mallam Mainasara, Deputy National Chairman North, Isa Mohammed Abuja, Chairman, FCT chapter among others.