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Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, representing Oyo North Senatorial district in the National Assembly, has advocated for the sustenance of direct primaries in the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of 2019 elections, especially for governorship and legislative seats.
In a chat with a group of journalists in Ibadan at the weekend, Senator Buhari stated that direct primaries will benefit Nigeria’s politics even if adopted by all the political parties.
It would be recalled that the newly elected national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, weeks before the party’s governorship primary election in Osun State declared that, in line with the provision of the party’s constitution, the party would adopt the direct primary to pick its candidate for the state governorship election.
A direct primary functions as a preliminary election whereby party members, as many as could be reached, come out to vote to decide their party’s candidates. In an indirect primary, delegates, chosen in some way, choose the party’s candidates at a nominating convention which serves as the primary.
“If the party maintains direct primary everywhere, except you are popular, you won’t emerge.” Senator Buhari opines, saying that the system will strengthen internal democracy in parties, discourage money politics and ensure that the best and most popular candidate emerges. He said it is the best thing for the APC.
“Look at Osun, the candidate there, just with his party members alone, has won more than 120,000 votes. Which means even if the people don’t come out to vote for him in the main election, his party members who come out can still give him victory,” he said.
READ: Isiaka Oyetola wins Osun APC governorship primary election (SEE FULL RESULTS)
According to the senator, “with direct primary, you’ve knocked off anyone calculating to buy votes. Even though you are giving N1000 to 120,000 people, how much is that? It won’t be easy. Two, you must be popular within the party. Number three, they must know you in the environment. So, with direct primary, everybody will work. That is the beauty of internal democracy.
“If you watch the American election, one year to the main election , you’ll see all the aspirants from both Democratic and Republican parties, going to the nooks and cranny if the country, campaigning to everybody until a candidate emerges from such a process for each of the parties.”
Senator Buhari who is aspiring to clinch the APC ticket to contest the 2019 governorship election in Oyo state, stressed that he prefers the direct primaries.
Asked how prepared he was to embark on the governorship race, the senator said “questions like that should go to those people just coming into politics” He said he has taken stock of his political assets and is sure of beating other aspirants in the race.
The chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime, said those assets coupled with a direct primary will work for him because: “I am a serving senator, 13 local governments out of 33; I was a commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy matters, the 33 local governments; I was SA to the governor; I was a member of House of Representatives, three out of 33 local governments. These are build ups. And I have good, balanced and reliable feedback.”