Direct primary plot by APC-controlled Senate to introduce anarchy —PDP
By Rasaq Adebayo
The Peoples Democratic Party has kicked against the Senate passage of direct primary for the nomination of candidates for election in all political parties.
According to the PDP, “the decision by the APC-controlled Senate is a humongous blow to the development of democratic norms and a plot to introduce anarchy during internal party elections as currently obtainable in the APC.”
The party said the decision was a retrogressive provision that seeks to wipe off all the gains achieved in Nigeria’s electoral practice since 1999.
The party said this in a statement by its national spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan on Tuesday after the lawmakers made the decision.
The statement partly read, “The PDP holds that the provision is aimed at increasing the costs of nomination procedures thereby surrendering the processes to money bags against the wishes and aspiration of Nigerians.
“Our party makes bold to state that with the exception of the APC, which intends to deploy looted funds in future elections, hardly will there be any political party that will be able to raise the cost of conducting internal elections under a direct primary process.
“This is why the decision of the Senate has elicited widespread rejection from Nigerians across board.
“The PDP, therefore, urges the Senate to immediately deploy its appropriate legislative instruments to reverse itself on the direct primary as it is not operable and does not reflect the wishes and aspiration of the majority of Nigerians.”
