Direct primaries rift deepen: APC Governors attack federal lawmakers of smuggling the controversial clause

The Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) on Friday launched a fresh tirade against National Assembly members labelling their products of the same indirect primary they now want to be jettisoned for direct primary.

The PGF which comprises governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also accused the federal lawmakers of smuggling the controversial clause on direct primary into the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The Director-General of the PGF, Dr Salihu Mohd Lukman, said in a statement in Abuja that the brains behind the inclusion of direct primary as the mode of determining party flag bearers for elective posts in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill were quiet on its inadequacies when it worked for them.

Lukman, in the statement entitled  “Internal Party Democracy and Politics of Candidates’ Nomination”, claimed that “almost all elected representatives in the National Assembly are as guilty as governors,” on the allegations they levelled at the state chief executives.

“The issue of using the indirect method as a means of imposing candidates through corrupt practices, almost all elected representatives in the National Assembly are as guilty as governors. From the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives to all the APC and House Representatives members, they must have all paid for every vote they got during the internal party primary leading to their election,” the PGF-DGF said, four days after the APC governors rejected the lawmakers’ position.

The  Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee had subsequently summoned the National Assembly caucus of the party to a meeting over the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act.

But both chambers of the National Assembly went ahead to pass the amendments the following day.

Lukman said yesterday: “At that time, they must have been very good loyal partners of governors.

“There are at least 12 former governors currently serving as APC Senators. While negotiating to emerge as Senators, they must have also been working to ensure the emergence of their preferred choices who are currently serving as governors through the dreaded indirect method.

“Could these former governors who are currently serving as Senators claim to be innocent of all the undemocratic practices associated with the indirect method? Could the current serving governors be the only promoters of the bad undemocratic practices of imposition, vote-buying, etc. through the indirect method?”

He was particularly alarmed by the  role being played by  APC lawmakers in the matter

He said: “It is worrisome that APC members in the National Assembly are the ones pushing for this amendment. Rather than leaders of the party negotiating among themselves on what needs to be done to produce internal agreement to resolve all challenges facing the party, increasingly, structures of the party are being abandoned and other structures outside the statutory organs of the party are being used to attempt to address perceived problems.

“The whole insertion of the provisions requiring political parties to adopt the direct method in the Electoral Act would appear to be an afterthought.

“This is because the original bill, which was subjected to the joint public hearing by both the Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, at the National Assembly complex in Abuja didn’t contain the insertion of Section 87 Sub Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. There was only the insertion of Section 87(1 and 2), which provides that:

 “Sub Section 1: It seeks to enact a new section 87 on the nomination of candidates by parties for elections by prescribing maximum fees payable by aspirants and restricting nomination criteria strictly to relevant provisions.

“Specifically, the bill states that total fees imposed by a political party shall not exceed N1million on a House of Representatives aspirant; N2 million on a senatorial aspirant; N5 million on a governorship aspirant, and N10million on a presidential aspirant.

“Sub Section 2: ‘compels a political party not to impose nomination qualification or disqualification criteria, measures or conditions on any aspirant or candidate for any election, except as prescribed under sections 65, 66, 106, 107, 131, 137, 177, and 187 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).’

“It was during the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill after the public hearing in July 2021 that the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila moved the motion for the amendment to allow direct primaries to be part of the amendment.

“In the case of Senate, after passing an amendment bill, which did not include the requirement to compel parties to adopt a direct method for election of candidates, following a ‘motion for Re- Committal of some Clauses of the Electoral Act No.6 2010 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2021 (SB. 122) to the Committee of the Whole as sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, All Progress Congress, APC, Kebbi North’ on October 12, 2021, Sections 87 (3, 4, 5, 6, 7) were inserted and passed.

“It will be important therefore to appeal to both the Senate President, HE Ahmed Lawal and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and all the leaders of the National Assembly to provide the needed leadership for the country to have the right legal framework, which can guarantee the administration of direct primary by political parties in the country as a means of entrenching internal democracy during the process of nominating party candidates for elections.

“The proposal passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly on November 9, 2021, is highly inadequate and leaves more room for manipulation, which may produce more disaster for the country beyond what the nation is going through under the indirect method.”

The PGF DG then advised that since the whole controversy about the proposed Electoral Act amendment is limited to the new insertions in Section 87, the National Assembly should consider reworking issues under Section 87 to make it unambiguous.

“The reworked new provisions should go through all the legislative processes including a public hearing to enable Nigerians also contribute to making the law.

“This is a very sensitive issue, which no Standing Order of the National Assembly should be used to block the democratic rights of Nigerians in contributing to the law.

“While the reworked Section 87 is being processed as recommended, the National Assembly may wish to adopt all the other amendments and transmit them to the President for assent.

“Unless leaders of the National Assembly are interested in blocking the possibility of amending the Electoral Act and want to shift the blame on President Buhari, it would be very inappropriate politically to expect the President to assent to the Electoral Act amendment with the provisions in Section 87 and all its ambiguities.

“The leadership of the National Assembly should take responsibility and not pass the buck.”

Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State who doubles as Chairman of the PGF had told reporters at the end of their Monday meeting that the forum was not comfortable with the adoption of direct primary for picking party’s candidates by the National Assembly.

He said: “We discussed the pros and cons. There has been concern that political parties are voluntary organisations. We express the concern that political parties be allowed to choose from the options that they so desire. There is an Executive Order, signed by Mr President against large gatherings. These are issues we discussed and hope that the best be achieved for Nigeria.

“Direct primary involves supervisory role by INEC. So, if multiple political parties are doing their primaries, INEC resources will be overstretched, and I think the chairman of INEC had even commented on that.”

Political parties, he said, should be allowed to pick the option best suited for them in picking their candidates for elective offices and argued that the NASS resolution was against the spirit of Executive Order signed by President Buhari, which frowns on large gatherings in the wake of the global pandemic.

Besides, he said the direct primary was too cumbersome, unwieldy and would overstretch the limited resources of INEC, statutorily mandated to oversee primaries conducted by political parties.

House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said at a different forum that direct primaries for political parties would create a level playing ground for Nigerians to fully participate in the leadership process.

He told a delegation of youths led by Youth and Sports Development Minister, Sunday Dare, during a courtesy visit in his office that the majority of Nigerians are happy with the development.

“If I know that my return will depend on a few men, I may not care about you. But if I know that my return will depend on my accountability and representation to the people, I will do the right thing,” he said.

“It is important for this generation to open the door of leadership to the next generation. We must allow every Nigerian to participate fully in the process of leadership. I, therefore, stand with a direct primary.

“That’s why I said at different fora that I’m for direct primaries. We have to do this for the sake of the institution.

“When you gather yourselves (as youths), chances are that you’ll win. Democracy is a government of the people. Democracy is not just a general election; it starts from the primaries.”

The passage of the amendments followed the consideration of the report of the Conference Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on the bill which was set up in September to reconcile disparities in the versions of the bill as passed by both chambers.

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