NEC adopted direct primaries for all elections – APC

The National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress on Friday said it adopted direct primaries for all elections and not just some.
This information runs contrary to the earlier position given after the NEC meeting on Thursday.
The Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, and his Kogi State counterpart, Yahaya Bello, had told newsmen on Thursday after the meeting that the NEC resolved to use direct primaries for only the presidential poll, while states wishing to use direct primaries should apply to the National Working Committee of the party with the approval of majority of their stakeholders and the state working committee.
A statement early on Friday by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, also corroborated this position.
The statement, titled: “NEC’s Decisions on Mode of Primary Election,” reads: “The 30th August, 2018 resolution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) on the mode of the Party’s Primary Election has been subject to different and misleading interpretations.
“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.”
But in another statement later on Friday, Nabena said it was direct primaries for all levels of election that was adopted.
He said: “The 30th August, 2018 resolution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) on the mode of Primary Election has been subject to inference and misleading interpretations.
“As an update to the earlier released statement, we wish to make the following clarifications on NEC’s resolutions on Mode of Primary Election:
“Primary elections into all elective offices shall be by Direct Primaries.
“NEC resolved to adopt Direct Primaries for the nomination of the Presidential candidate and all other Primaries.
“The Party’s constitution though provides for Indirect Election and Consensus, however, the use of Indirect Primaries is conditional and dependent on logistic impediments; peculiarities and need of a given State that makes it unable to use Direct Primaries.
“The State Executive Committee (SEC) shall in consultation with aspirants and other critical stakeholders of the Party in a given State forward for the consideration and approval by the National Working Committee (NWC), if Indirect Primaries is 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 Indirect Primaries must be signed by majority of the State Executive Committee and critical stakeholders in attendance at the meeting where such resolution is reached.
“Direct Primaries will among others ensure fairness; create a level playing ground for contestants; eliminate corrupt tendencies usually associated with the delegates system and ultimately ensure full participation of party members at all levels.”