Oshiomhole, Osun APC may clash over direct primaries

Trouble appears to be brewing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the decision of the national leadership of the party to adopt direct primary for the July 19 election to pick the party’s governorship candidate in Osun State.

This was as 12 of the aspirants of the APC from Osun West on Tuesday rejected the direct primary option and warned that using it to elect the party’s candidate will have dire consequences for the ruling party.

The national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, had on Monday announced that the candidate of the party for the coming governorship election in Osun State would be selected through a direct primary, where card members of the party will be allowed to vote.

But the APC members in Osun West district and 12 of its aspirants kicked against the decision, insisting that the best option for the primary remained the delegate system.

They made their stand known at a press conference on Tuesday addressed by the chairman of the APC in Osun West, Mr Akintola Amobi.

“The only way to win Osun come 2018 governorship election is to zone the governorship ticket to Osun West Senatorial District based on the principle of justice, equity and fairness. That delegate system mode of governorship primary should be adopted in the conduct of party primary slated for July 19,” Amobi said.

According to Amobi, Osun West insistence for the usage of delegates system for picking the party’s flag bearer is not for selfish interest but to ensure for the representation of teaming and committed members of the party in the choice of their candidate.

He also argued that delegates primary is the best option because there was no verifiable data base of APC members from units level, nor at electoral ward or state level as the membership registration of the party in the state has never been updated since 2014.

READ ALSO: Tinubu backs direct primaries, hails Oshiomhole

Maintaining that there is no ascertained APC party members/strength in Osun State, Amobi warned that adoption of open primaries will lead to chaos of an unimaginable magnitude which would definitely weaken the party’s strength, resolution of which might not be achieved until 2019 general election.

He concluded by noting that all the 12 aspirants that came from Osun West out of the total number of 17 aspirants from the entire state had met and resolved on the adoption of delegates primaries to elect who emerges as the party candidate for the election.

This was even as political appointees of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, while addressing newsmen on Tuesday under the aegis of Forum of SSAs led by the chairman, Alhaji Bashir Lawal, argued that direct primary would give credibility to the candidate.

 

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