The Peter Odike-led state executive committee of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has adopted direct primary as its method of selecting candidates for the forthcoming general elections in 2019.
The decision was unanimously adopted today by party members across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state during the party’s state executive committee meeting at its secretariat by Waterlines bus stop, Port Harcourt.
Speaking in support of the direct primary, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, former Senator at the national assembly, Wilson Ake and other stakeholders said direct primary will eliminate money politics among others.
Recall that the Ojukaye Flag-Amachree faction on Wednesday adopted the indirect primary method citing insecurity as the reason.
The Peter Odike led state executive committee of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has adopted direct primary as its method of selecting candidates for the forthcoming general elections in 2019.
The decision was unanimously adopted today by party members across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state during the party state executive committee meeting at its secretariat by Waterlines bus stop, Port Harcourt.
Speaking in support of direct primary, former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, former Senator at the national assembly, Wilson Ake and other party stakeholders said direct primary will eliminate money politics.
The stakeholders said, “we cannot talk of indirect primary for now because we have illegal delegates and it will be cumbersome to first elect genuine delegates before going into indirect primary which is expensive and a waste of time.
“Those who don’t want direct primary are not on ground. They have failed to utilize their position for the benefit of their constituents.”
Presiding over the meeting, the party chairman, Peter Odike, warned the public especially the media not to address him as acting or factional chairman, saying that he is the authentic chairman of APC in Rivers State.
Speaking to newsmen, the senator representing Rivers South East at the National Assembly and governorship aspirant for 2019 election, Magnus Abe, described those clamouring for indirect primary as politicians who are not democratic, adding that direct primary is easier to conduct than indirect primary.
“All their arguments as to why we should have indirect primary are baseless. To mention non-availability of a database; I asked, what did they use in registering members and which membership records did they used in producing those illegal delegates? They will only give all manner of unreasonable excuses just to manipulate the system in their favour.”
Senator Abe also said direct primary is the acceptable mode of primary by the national leadership of APC, insisting that Rivers State can not at this time take a different direction.
Some top chieftains of the party in attendance include past and current national and state assembly members, former state commissioners and more.
It is not yet clear whether the two factions will participate in the same primary.
