From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Confusion is currently rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state over the choice of primary election to be adopted to produce its candidate for the November governorship contest in the state.
The party which has the option of consensus, direct and indirect types of primaries to adopt is facing a difficult time to arrive at one as a result of factions within the party that had continued to tear members apart.
The Governor Yahaya Bello faction of APC last Saturday at its stakeholders meeting at the Party Secretariat in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital had resolved to adopt indirect primary election to produce the party’s candidate for the November governorship contest.
The Speaker of the Kogi State House Assembly, Rt.Hon. Matthew Kolawole who announced this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the enlarged stakeholders meeting, said the decision remains the best choice for the party to ensure hitch free primaries.
Similarly, the Haddy Ametuo-led All Progressives Congress (APC) State executives at its meeting in Lokoja on Monday, 17 June 2019, resolved to allow the National Working Committee of the APC wade in and determine the mode of election to be adopted for the August primaries.
In a communique issued by the executive of the party after the meeting, made their decisions as follows:
“We will like to announce to the public that the APC has not made an official decision on whether to adopt the direct or indirect primary election for the forthcoming gubernatorial election. We are the authentic APC State executive of the party having held congresses across wards in all Local Government Areas and instituted executive committees in the same places; so it is illegal for any factional APC State executive to make decisions for the APC in Kogi State as regards the mode of primary election to be adopted in the August without the knowledge of the party’s National Secretariat and most importantly, when the APC National Working Committee has not made their decision known on the matter.
“Only the National Working Committee of the APC has the authority to determine the mode of primary election to be adopted in Kogi State. We are disciplined and always open to progressive and harmonised ways of doing things. We await the decision of the APC National Woking Committee and other party leaders regarding the method of election to be adopted for the primaries. We are confident they will use their good leadership and experience to make the best decision for Kogi State. A decision that will be in line with the party constitution; a decision that will abide by the technicalities of electing a flag bearer.
“The state governor has invited us for a parley and we will honor the invitation. We have always made ourselves available for any reconciliatory meetings and discussions because our prior interest is for the success and progress of our great party.
“We will also like to strongly advise the national leadership of our great party to be wary of the mistakes of Zamfara and Imo states and help sanitize the party in Kogi State so that we can avoid pitfalls ahead. Let fairness, justice and adherence to party principles guide their decisions.”
