Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, on Wednesday, unanimously adopted indirect primary system for all elections in the state.
Rising from a stakeholders meeting of the party held at the party’ state secretariat, in Akure, the party resolved that all its candidates for all elective posts in the 2019 general elections will emerge through indirect primary system.
The Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, David Oloyelogun, moved the motion for the adoption of the indirect primary system and he was seconded by the chairman of the party in Owo Local Government Area of the state, Chief Sydney Ogunleye.
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The state chairman of the party, Mr. Ade Adetimehin, who presided over the meeting which was attended by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, his deputy, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, members of the state Executive Council and members of the state House of Assembly, said the leadership of the party in the state took the decision in line with the party’s constitution.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, the senator representing Ondo Central Senatorial district, Tayo Alasoadura, said the leadership of the party arrived at the decision to adopt indirect primary system after over four hours deliberation, saying that the indirect primary system would be beneficial to the party in the state.
According to him, direct primary could give room for manipulations and irregularities as non members of the party could participate in the election, while indirect system would be thorough and fair.
“The constitution of the APC allows either direct or indirect primary system and as a party we have decided to adopt indirect primary system to ensure that the process that will produce our candidates in Ondo State will be fair and thorough,” he stated.
He added that many new members of the party do not have the party’s membership card to use for election if the party adopts direct primary system; hence the adoption of the indirect system which he said is less expensive to conduct.
But a faction of the party in the state led by Sen. Ajayi Boroffice has kicked against the decision of the party’s leadership, claiming that the leadership of the party erred as there was a pending suit challenging the composition of the party’s executive in the state.
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The faction spoke through the Osun State Commissioner for Regional Integration, Mr Bola Ilori who insisted that the faction is in support of the decision of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party and President Muhammadu Buhari over the primary elections of the party.
Ilori insisted that “since there is no executive on ground for the APC
in Ondo State in the face of the law, hatever decision taken at the so called stakeholders meeting was a nullity and it cannot stand.
“We are in support of President Buhari and the NEC of our great party and we shall abide by the resolutions of NEC.”