The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the
approval of direct primaries for political parties as a “plot to introduce
anarchy during internal party elections”.
On Tuesday, the senate approved that all political parties
must use the direct primary mode in picking candidates.
The upper legislative chamber made the decision while
amending four clauses in the electoral act amendment bill.
In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesperson, the party said the approval of direct primaries by the APC-led senate is a ” retrogression” of Nigeria’s democracy.
“The Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) describes the passage by the All Progressives Congress
(APC)-led Senate of direct primary for the nomination of candidates for
election, in all political parties, as a retrogressive provision that seeks to
wipe off all the gains achieved in our electoral practice since 1999,” the
statement reads.
“The party says 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 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 the board”.
The opposition party asked the senate to “immediately deploy
its appropriate legislative instruments” to reverse the direct primary mode of
party elections, adding it does not reflect the wishes of the majority of
Nigerians.
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