Shehu Sani, 14 APC aspirants reject indirect primaries in Kaduna

Sen. Shehu Sani and 14 other aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected indirect primaries adopted by the party in Kaduna State.

The aspirants led by Sani, in a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, demanded direct primaries.

The State Executive Committee of the APC had announced it would use indirect primaries or delegate method to select candidates for the 2019 polls.

But Sani and the 14 other aspirants in the three-page letter said indirect primaries would short-change them.

According to them, the indirect method was a “direct antithesis to the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to fight against corruption at all levels.’’

The letter also stated in part: “The party having touted the change mantra must shine the light into those dark places in the electoral system where the corruptive influence of ill-gotten wealth is used to subvert the will of the electorate.

“The indirect method will only perpetuate the vicious circle of corruption, bad governance and weak and dysfunctional institutions and processes.

“We the aspirants and stakeholders of the Kaduna State Chapter of our great party, the APC, present our best compliments to you and wish by this letter to inform Your Excellency of our collective decision to adopt direct primaries as the preferred mode of nominating candidates at primary elections into all elective positions in the state.

“We the undersigned are particularly in opposition to indirect primaries because of the weakening effects of its corruptive tendencies.

“The entire process begins and ends with vote buying. And, as it is always the case where the will of the general electorate is subverted, the best candidates for the tasks at hand never get recruited.

“Our decision to adopt direct primaries in Kaduna State is the panacea to the deep fault lines and obstacles to building a strong virile, people-rooted APC.

“Direct primaries is the most assured means at throwing up the most popular candidates that will deliver Kaduna State for the APC come 2019.’’

“Over the past three years, there had been a significant amount of disquiet in the camp of the APC in the state, resulting to a disturbing level as apathy and anomie now pervade the party as a result of the profound sense of marginalisation,’’ it said.

The group said that many critical stakeholders, as well as members of the party, had faced outright exclusion in some instances.

“The delegate system, otherwise called indirect primaries, will rely on the whims and caprices of the few that now control the party after emerging from the ward, local government and state congresses that have been widely rejected by party members as a sham.

“Hundreds of party members who bought forms with a view to vying for various wards, local governments and state party executive positions were deliberately excluded from the process and in some instances even intentionally blocked from submitting their forms,’’ it added.

Signatories to the letter apart from Sani (APC-Kaduna Central), who is seeking a second term, included Halal Falal, a gubernatorial aspirant.

Others include Mohammed Sani, who is aspiring to represent Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Aliyu Silver, aspiring to represent Kaduna North Senatorial District and Rufai Chanchangu, the member representing Kaduna South Federal Constituency.

It would be recalled that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party had resolved to adopt direct primaries for all elective positions.

The party, however, said it could allow indirect primaries based on the peculiarity and need of a given state.