BAYELSA: APC adopts direct primaries, settles for September, 4

Returning officer for the Bayelsa 2019 All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary, Mai Mala Buni, has said that the party and all aspirants have resolved to adopt direct mode for its primary election.

This is coming shortly after a Bayelsa High Court sitting in Yenagoa, vacated an interim order stopping the APC from conducting its governorship primaries in the state using direct method.

Buni, who is also the Governor of Yobe State, said “all the aspirants are on the page now. So the party has adopted direct primary and it has been postponed to September 4th.”

He made this statement on Tuesday, shortly after meeting with the aspirants and major party stakeholders including the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva.

According to him, the process would be concluded within the timeframe stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

READ ALSO: Why Nigerians don’t have confidence in country’s electoral process —INEC chair

Leading aspirants including former Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri; Businessman and Oil magnate, Chief David Lyon and an Engineer, Preye Aganaba, attended the meeting which held immediately after the court judgement.

Buni said: “The process has commenced and we had a very wonderful meeting with the stakeholders. We adjourned the meeting to allow the process to continue. We have agreed to adhere to all the guidelines issued by the party.

“We have a timeframe within which we are working. The process is direct primaries and all the aspirants agreed with it. We are on the same page.

“We are here to provide the level-playing ground for all the aspirants. We are not hoping for violence. We are all APC and one big family so we have to work together to win the election.

“It is only one person that wins and when one person emerges we look forward for all the others to come forward and support him”.

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