Moshood Adebayo
Former governor of Lagos State and All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Bola Tinubu, has disclosed that direct primaries would be employed to pick candidates for several elective offices in the next year general election in the state.
Addressing members of the party at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the party’s secretariat on Acme Road, Ogba, the APC chieftain said it was gratifying to report that the party had resolved to register additional members, adding that membership register would be opened to facilitate the process, which eventually would be used for direct primaries.
The system was used to pick the party’s governorship candidate in the next month Osun State governorship election, which produced Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola.
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While encouraging residents to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), the Lagos acclaimed political father urged party members to make membership of the party open, so that more interested people would join.
The APC stakeholders commended Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for his decisive action in respect of recent developments in the country, adding that but for him, APC as a party and indeed Nigeria would have been greatly embarrassed.
“We commend his efforts; we stand with him; and we stand with all members of our party,” just as the party commended all the steps taken so far by APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
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Tinubu said it was gratifying to report that the party had resolved to register additional members, adding that membership register would be opened to facilitate the process, which eventually would be used for direct primaries.
“We appeal to all our members to update the membership registration and embrace the direct primary that has just been introduced and adopted by our party. We are committed to our party; we are committed to the values of the party; we see direct primary as President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption and internal democracy revolution.
“We are going to embrace that the party is going back to the owners of the party and that is you, the people. It is not we the few; it is we the people. We have embraced democracy and you have your decisions to be made, but, you have to be members of our party in the first place,” Tinubu said, and dismissed the insinuation that the party was divided in the state, saying there is nothing of such, and that the party is intact.
“We reiterate the fact that APC in Lagos State is intact. There is no division. I’ve heard some people conspiring to present a situation of division in the party in Lagos, but, let me assure you that it is just the coming together of adversaries, which will have no effect on the party,” Tinubu said. He congratulated the party for the victory recorded in recent elections in Bauchi, Katsina and Kogi states.
Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, in his remarks, commended Tinubu for kick-starting the revolution for direct primaries, saying the process would go a long way to deepen democracy in the country.
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“There is no better time to appreciate our national leader (Tinubu) than now. What we have just witnessed is the beginning of a revolution about the deepening of democracy in Nigeria. People might not understand what is going on, but, we are giving power to the people and it is starting from APC.
“So, we want to collectively say a big thank you to Asiwaju for championing this silent revolution and it is very simple; what we are saying is that if we know that Lagos State is truly controlled by APC, we would champion a revolution that has never been witnessed before in this country and that means each member of our great party will now determine who becomes the President of this country.”