2023, NASS members and indirect primaries

ACCORDING to Governor Dave Umahi, National Assembly members that are agitating for direct primaries have no structures in their respective wards, claiming the governors are the ones keeping party alive. It is clear that the governors will lay political landmines against majority of the members of the National Assembly during 2022 party primaries to punish them for voting in support of the bill for direct primary. The 2022 party primary is now a battle-line between the governors and members of the National Assembly who recently passed a bill for direct primaries. The majority of members of the National Assembly will not come back in 2023 for voting in support of direct primary and their open confrontation with their governors. The 2023 battle-line has been drawn between members of national assembly and their governors. Since President Muhammadu Buhari declined to sign the amended electoral bill, the majority of the members of National Assembly now know that come 2023, they will not come back to the National Assembly. Direct primary option would have eliminated godfatherism and allow the people to choose their leaders without any undue influence.

Many members of the National Assembly have ignored their governors to vote in support of direct primary and they have running battles with the governors. Direct mode of primary is the way to go, in the interest of Nigerians. The direct primary is essentially meant to give power to the grass roots, a thing that Nigerians prefer, being a democrat who believes that the power should be with the people. Since President Buhari has declined to sign the bill, come 2023, the governors will determine the fate of those that will win party primaries in 2023. Direct primary is a pre-election process that will give you the right candidates for election. Direct primary is better for us for now. Governors are kicking because they are always manipulating. Direct primaries are the only option that can guarantee true democracy and competence. Direct primaries would not only produce competent and qualified people who are truly representatives of the electorates, but it will also provide an opportunity for massive participation of members.

Governors determine delegates and make sure whosoever they want gets the parties’ tickets in indirect primary. In effect, that is no election. It is an imposition. But when it is direct primary, the governors cannot be in control of the whole people of the state. It is now left to the parties to make sure that those appearing for election get whatever is given to them. The provisions of the Electoral Amendment Act Amendment Bill that all political parties must adopt direct method of primary election would have solved the problems of imposition of candidates, vote buying, rigging, manipulation, associated with indirect methods of the delegates system. Governors are the ones perpetrating all the bad practices associated with the indirect methods and therefore, the reason why they are against the adoption of direct primary. The lawmakers see the introduction of direct primary as an opportunity to whittle down the influence of the governors in the nomination of party candidates. That is why you see that the governors are fighting against it.

Any person that is not supporting the option of direct primary to elect candidates for political parties is not a true democrat. Once we agree that democracy is all about the people and for the people, then, we must allow the people to choose who they want in a transparent, free and fair direct primary.  Indirect primary has been so much abused by the governors. These days, you will see the governors sitting in their offices writing the names of ward councilors to local government Exco. They don’t allow people to participate in democratic norms. They decide your fate without involving the people in the parties. Direct primary is democracy at work. Let the people choose the candidates they want to represent them. The governors are kicking against it because it has taken that power away from them and given it back to the party. Most governors are afraid of direct primaries because they have lost touch with the people. The Scripture says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and wisdom is to depart from evil. That means we must avoid evil, or anything that lures us to do evil or wickedness. Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has appealed to President Buhari to return the harmonised version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to the National Assembly to give room for a review that will allow political parties to choose options for the election of candidates. He made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists.

The revised Electoral Act, which was passed , approved direct primaries as the sole method to produce candidates for all elective positions. What the primary is aimed at getting is to deny us the privilege of choosing those who will take over from us or those that would win the party’s governorship ticket. They think without controlled delegates, we would not be able to determine our successors. They also felt we might not even be able to win senatorial tickets. The fact is that some of the two-time governors are eyeing the Senate while there are those who want to run for the Presidency. The lawmakers knew and that’s why they tried to move against it. Many governors are angry that the direct mode of primaries passed by the National Assembly may deny them the opportunity of producing their successors or winning senatorial tickets after their tenure. These, it was gathered, were some of the reasons why they opposed the adoption of a direct mode of primaries in the amended electoral act.

One of the governors of the All Progressives Congress, who was at the tripartite meeting held at the State House with the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and members of the National Assembly, said he and the majority of his colleagues were against the adoption of the direct primary.

The governors felt that the members of the National Assembly decided to opt for the direct primaries as a way of getting back at them (governors) over the outcome of the just concluded ward, local government and state primaries in their states.

Governors on the platform of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) are not comfortable with the resolution of the National Assembly on the direct option as mode of primaries for political parties to pick their candidates for general elections.

The APC governors operating under the aegis of Progressives Governors Forum, (PGF) at the end of their meeting rejected the National Assembly resolution.

They also offered a hint to meet with the leadership of both chambers of Parliament to impress it on them to review the resolution ahead of presentation of the Electoral Act 2010 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2021 to President Muhammadu Buhari for presidential assent.

The Senate had aligned itself with its counterpart in the House of Representatives which adopted Section 87 on mandatory direct primaries for all parties. Section 87(1) of the  bill  reads:  “A political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this Bill shall hold direct primaries for aspirants to all elective positions, which shall be monitored by the Commission.”

• Donald writes via inwalomhe.donald@yahoo.com

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