Direct primaries will create room for manipulations – APC governors

The Director-General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, on Saturday said the amendment of the Electoral Act which forced political parties to adopt direct primaries is vague and would create room for manipulations.

Lukman, who made the call in a statement, stressed all grey areas on the matter must be eliminated in order to entrench democratic ideals.

He said the amended Electoral Act did not address some grey areas on the country’s electoral process.

There are reports that the amended Electoral Act which was passed by the National Assembly last week had been forwarded to the President for assent.

The bill when signed into law is expected to address all anomalies associated with the indirect primary method of selecting party candidates for elective offices.

Nonetheless, the PGF chief argued that the amendment does not redress the political parties’ management of their membership registration which was essential for a credible direct primary to take place.

Lukman said: “For instance, the only thing that exists as means of identification of party members is an ordinary piece of paper and records of members exist only in hard copies available perhaps to only Ward officials and National Secretariat of the party. It leaves much room for manipulation and extraneous practices.

“Beyond the sentiments in favour of direct primary, therefore, there is the need to properly outline a clear administrative framework under the law.

‘This will guide the process and guarantee that all the bad practices associated with the indirect method of electing party candidates are eliminated.”

READ ALSO: Senate approves report on amendment of electoral act, direct primaries for parties

He insisted that the clamour for direct primaries was borne out of the disaffection by some stakeholders over the methods adopted by their parties on the choice of candidates for elections.

The PGF chief added: “In several respects, the issue of compelling parties to use the direct method for internal party elections as part of the Electoral Act is also popular perhaps because increasingly many political party members and leaders have lost confidence that parties can on their own adopt internal rules that can truly allow for direct primary.

“Otherwise, ordinarily the choice of the direct primary should be decided internally within parties. To a large extent, it is also a matter that should define the ideological orientation of parties.”

Lukman appealed to the National Assembly to rework Section 87 of the Bill on direct primary and take it through all the legislative processes before presenting it to the President.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now