Governors pressure NASS to remove direct primary clause

The 36 state governors of Nigeria have continued to mount pressure on the house of representatives and senators to delete the direct primary clause from the amended electoral act.

The call was directed at the senate president and speaker of the house of representatives on Sunday.

They argued that it must be indirect primary and not direct primary, adding that direct primary was against the norm of democracy.

Congress recalled that under the delegate or indirect system, governors have the advantage of statutory delegates, majority of who are their appointees at the state and local government levels.

Meanwhile, some senators and members of the House of Representatives have also advised the Senate President and Speaker to resist the pressure from the governors.

It was learnt the former Senate President Bukola Saraki had throwed support on direct primary, describing it as the best mode of selecting candidates for elections by political parties.

The APC governors, the National Assembly and the leaders of the party said they are waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari on the next step.

The president is likely to get a clean copy of the amended Electoral Act this week.

Source said, the Speaker was invited by some governors to several meetings, but Gbajabiamila claimed that the President never told him to retain indirect primary in the Electoral Act.

According to the source: “They called the Speaker to several meetings threatening him and asking him to back out of the direct primary. They were dropping the name of the President at the sessions.

“Gbajabiamila pointed out to the governors that Mr. President never told him he doesn’t want direct primary.

“But, most Senators and members of the House of Representatives have asked the Speaker not to lead the House to revise its decision on direct primary.