The All Progressives Congress, APC was at the weekend
headed for a serious crisis following strong reservations among its major
presidential candidates over the procedure for adopting the 2015 presidential
candidate for the party.At the end of a National Executive Committee, NEC
meeting of the party last weekend, the party was unable to forge a consensus on
the issue with associates of the major aspirants reportedly holding on to their
positions. Two of the major presidential aspirants, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and
former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, It was learnt were at the head of the
major divisions over the adoption of a consensus or the conduct of primaries
for the adoption of the presidential candidate. The other major aspirants,
notably, Governor Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano State and Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah are
reportedly indifferent.Yesterday, aides of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo
State, who is also set to enter the fray were largely mute on the issue, as one
said it was too premature to express a position given the fact the governor is
yet to formally declare his intention.Buhari wants consensus candidacy Party
sources disclosed that Buhari’s associates in the party were pushing for
consensus on the fact that majority of the party positions across board were
filled with consensus. On the other hand, the Buhari supporters are praying
that if the consensus arrangement is jettisoned for any reason that a direct
primary involving all 18 million registered members of the party be held.Their
point is being strongly opposed by Atiku’s growing supporters within the party
hierarchy who say that a direct primary would be unwieldy, costly. Rather, the
Atiku camp has proposed what it called a Modified Direct Primary that would
involve about 20,000 delegates choosing the party candidate. That prospect is
feared by the Buhari camp who claimed that it would offer opportunity to easily
woo or take over delegates hitherto pledged to other aspirants.According to the
Buhari supporters, the introduction of full direct primary would limit the
prospect of Atiku wooing the delegates unlike a modified primary that could see
Atiku and his agents now in the field winning the number of delegates.“Having
carefully examined our great party” the APC constitution, especially Article 20
and the Electoral Act 2010, one comes to the inevitable conclusion that it is
better to adopt consensus in electing our candidates for House of Assembly,
House of Representatives, Senate, Governor and presidential candidates and
where it fails to adopt direct primary,” a major Buhari supporter in the NEC
told selected newsmen last weekend.“It is on record that more than 80% of the
ward, local government area and state congresses which produced the current
executives of our great party were conducted through consensual arrangement.
And more than 95% of the current National Executive Committee were elected via
consensus,” he said“When one considers the bitterness, rancour and bad blood
indirect primary will most likely generate, it becomes safer to work towards a
consensual agreement. We must at all times bear in mind that we are being
hunted and that those who boasted to rule Nigeria for 60 years uninterrupted,
are still hell bent to scuttle the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians for
genuine ideological regime change.“We must take note that our challenger, the
ruling party has just announced the nomination of the incumbent President as
its candidate by consensus means and they had commenced presidential campaign
with vigour and dexterity”.Atiku at the weekend, however, pledged his
determination to abide by any democratic procedure adopted by the party even as
he canvassed the advantages of the Modified Direct Primaries.In an email
statement issued to correspondents on the issue by his media aide, Mallam Garba
Shehu, the Atiku camp said:“Our candidate is a democrat. What he is opposed to
is any undemocratic process going by the name of consensus, imposition or
anointment. Back in the PDP, if you remember, he dragged the party to court and
won on these issues with a resounding victory.Atiku’s camp proposes Modified
Direct Primary“The decision of our campaign to support the Modified Direct
Primary is not because of anything but for its practical applicability.“If you
say you want direct primary, how can you get all 18 million registered APC
voters to take part?“That would mean you will be setting up a vote in every
polling booth, doing the same thing as INEC is doing. It will be the same thing
as a general election.Where do you have the resources, the manpower, the time
and the security support for this?”“Secondly, don’t forget that the figure of
the registered members is not a settled issue in many states. There are many
places in which it is being disputed. Besides, it keeps changing everyday. New
members are coming in and some are also leaving us. How do you deal with
this?”“Those who argue for direct primaries also need to factor in the fact
that there is no way you take the process from the hands of governors if you
allow it to take place in the states. Genuine fears on the part of some people
is that in nearly each state, they may just end up writing the results or where
this is not possible, breathe down on the necks of local officials to do as
they wish.”“The Modified Direct Primary cannot on the other hand be faulted as
being undemocratic because the delegates coming forward, as proposed, are all
elected officials. There is no dispute concerning their status as elected
officials. For this reason alone, they are credible because they are
representative of their wards. We support it because we believe it is broad
enough to make for popular representation.”“Even at this, 20,000 delegates is
still a large number to bring under one roof, considering that even the PDP
brings together between four to five thousands delegates only for the their
presidential primaries.”