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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has offered clarifications on the decision of the party to adopt different modes of primary elections ahead of the 2019 general elections.
It was reported after the meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on Thursday, that the party had adopted the direct primary for the presidential primary and indirect for other primaries.
But the party’s spokesman, Yekini Nabena, says the decision had been wrongly interpreted. According to him, states are not compelled to use the indirect mode.
He said in a statement that Indirect, Direct and Consensus modes of primaries could be used depending “on the peculiarity and need of a given state”.
His words: “We wish to make the following clarifications on NEC’s resolutions:
“Primary Elections into all elective offices shall be by the Direct and Indirect Election or by Consensus. The use of the Direct and Indirect Primaries shall however depend on the peculiarity and need of a given State.
“In each case, the State Executive Committee (SEC) shall in consultation with candidates and other critical stakeholders of the Party in a given State identify and forward for the consideration and approval by the National Working Committee (NWC) for the mode of election to be adopted.
“The adopted mode shall now be applied to all categories of the Party’s Primary Elections i.e. State Assembly, Senate, House of Representatives and for the Governorship Elections.
“The request for the selection of mode of election must be signed by majority of the Executive Committee in attendance at the meeting where such resolution is reached.
NEC resolved to adopt the Direct Primary option for the Presidential Primary.
The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) was also directed to review its proposal for nomination and expression of interest form fees.
The NWC had proposed N55 million for the nomination and expression of interest forms for its presidential ticket and N22.5 million for its governorship ticket.
The NEC rejected the proposals, asking the NWC to go and review the proposition downward.