Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption warns APC to accept governor's request for indirect primaries

LEADERS of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have been warned by the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (Pacac) Professor Itse Sagay to yield to the demands of state governors and conduct indirect primaries for the 2019 polls.

 

At the moment, APC governors are up in arms with the national leadership of the party over the conduct of primary elections ahead of the 2019 election primaries. Governors want indirect elections in which delegates will select candidates, while the party leadership is in favour of direct primaries in which members will decide on who gets to fly the APC flag in the general elections.

 

Professor Sagay has warned that the APC may lose power in 2019 if the rift between its chairman Adams Oshiomhole and the governors is not resolved. Currently in the US, he said the party could not afford to go to war with the state governors who are critical stakeholders in the party, with just few weeks to the general elections.

 

Subsequently, Professor Sagay advised the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to listen to the governors’ demands by accepting indirect primaries in the selection of candidates. He added that if this is not done, the party could end out losing the elections to the main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

“I will urge the party to think of the consequences. In this case, I will advise the party to acquiesce to their demands for indirect primaries rather than direct primaries.

 

“We need to be pragmatic on this issue and also, they have to think of the future. If they do anything now and go against the government or the party, it will not bode well at all, so, we have to be pragmatic about these things.

 

“If there is such a threat and they are likely to carry it out, I will advise the party to accept indirect primaries rather than direct primaries. The election is around the corner and if they don’t listen to the governors’ demands, the consequences are that the party may lose power.

 

“If we stick to principles and you lose power, you are out of power and all the indiscipline and mis-governance we experienced under the PDP will come and haunt us. So, I believe the party should concede to them,” Professor Sagay said.

 

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