Two different camps within the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC were at the weekend mounting pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to take their position on the amended Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The pressure on Buhari according to multiple sources is majorly on the contentious provision in the amended Electoral Act that provides for direct primaries in the selection of party candidates for elections. It was gathered that majority of the governors are against the provision as they feel that it denies them the godfather role of dictating candidates from their states for election. However, supporters of the 2023 presidential aspiration of National Party leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu were on their part lobbying the president to assent the bill given what they claim as his advantage using the option.

Tinubu is reported to have been able to get the advantage in vote in rich states like Lagos, Kano, Borno and Katsina which return the majority of votes in direct primaries. The addition of Katsina to the vote rich states for Tinubu came after it emerged that the wife of the deputy governor of the state, Hajiya Mariya Buhari was appointed as national woman leader of the Tinubu Support Organisation, TSO. Tinubu is also believed to have consolidated himself among APC members in many states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP with Akwa Ibom, Delta among such states in the South-South.

The face of the campaign for the use of direct primaries is Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila of the House of Representatives. Gbajabiamila a scion of the Tinubu camp, was one of the first senior political leaders to meet with President Buhari once he returned from his 16-day trip out of the country last week. The Speaker who went on a mission to lobby the president on the issue came out saying that the president was supportive of direct primaries. The pro-direct primaries camp being conscious of the leverage that the governors have in mobilizing delegates believe that the only way that they can overcome the hurdle is by going direct to the people using direct primaries to elect party candidates.

”There is no way Tinubu can become APC presidential candidate with the Malami group and the governors opposed to him if indirect primaries are used,” a source privy to the unfolding developments mentioned. ”The cabal knows that there is no one with the kind of name recognition or network in the country who can match Tinubu in a direct primary and that is why they are stonewalling on the issue,” the source said.

It was gathered that it was part of their strategy to lessen the momentum of Tinubu that they have been stonewalling on the national convention of the party. The opposition to Tinubu in the Tinubu camp as represented by the governors of Yobe, Kebbi and Jigawa, respectively, Mai Mala Buni, Senator Atiku Bagudu and Mohammed Abubakar. The three governors after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari last Monday announced that the party’s convention will hold next February and by that extend the time that Buni has held on as caretaker committee chairman of the party.

In that period the governors working with the cabal are expected to push proposals that would further diminish the leverage Tinubu has. Meanwhile, President Buhari is said to be walking between the devil and the deep blue sea on the matter of direct primaries as he could face a popular rebellion in the National Assembly over the matter. Besides the strong support for Tinubu from Speaker Gbajabiamila and Senate President Ahmad Lawan, the majority of National Assembly members are also craving for direct primaries. The lawmakers believe that it is the only way that they can be liberated from the apron strings of their governors who dictate candidates list when indirect methods are used for primaries.

”If the president refuses to sign the lawmakers are ready to override the veto for their self-preservation,” one source said. Besides, there are also some regional champions who are also said to be pushing the agenda that the use of direct primaries would give the North an advantage in the selection of presidential candidates on the basis of the alleged superiority of the region in population. Reports indicate that the National Assembly in passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, had provided that the selection of candidates should be by direct primaries.

The extant Electoral Act on the other hand provides for the use of direct, indirect or consensus. The shocker for the Anti-Tinubu forces came when on the last day of the consideration of the bill that Speaker Gbajabiamila during the Committee of the Whole with the deputy Speaker Idris Wase presiding as required by the rules of the House, moved the motion for the adoption of the compulsory use of direct primaries for selection of candidates. The moment Gbajabiamila moved the motion, the majority of the House was forced to support it leading to the harmonization in the same direction with the Senate.

However, sources within the party say that Gbajabiamila was pandering to the interest of his political godfather who holds sway among the party grassroots. It would be recalled that a major offensive to stop Tinubu came with the removal of Adams Oshiomhole as national chairman of the party in 2020 following claims of the latter’s allegiance to Tinubu. Since then repeated efforts to elect a new executive has not materialized on account of the inability of the forces against Tinubu to drown him.

However, one activist in the anti-Tinubu camp was dismissive of the national leader’s advantage in a direct primary. ”After Lagos, Kano, Osun and maybe Borno where else is he strong? Mark me, Tinubu will not contest the APC presidential primary,” the source said.

https://www-vanguardngr-com.cdn.ampproject.org/wp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2021/11/direct-primary-buhari-under-pressure-as-pro-anti-tinubu-forces-dig-in/amp/?usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D

Asiwaju Jagaban, olórúkọ ńlá, aláàyà gbàngbà bí òkè. Ẹkùn, ọkọ àwọn ẹni ibi!

Everything is all about Tinubu. I guess news no longer sells except Tinubu’s name is attached to it. Almost every reasonable political stakeholders other than the governors have expressed support for the legalization of direct primary but no, we must make it about Tinubu just to discredit the good intention of the law.

seunmsg:
Everything is all about Tinubu. I guess news no longer sells except Tinubu’s name is attached to it. Almost every reasonable political stakeholders other than the governors have expressed support for the legalization of direct primary but no, we must make it about Tinubu just to discredit the good intention of the law.

After Tinubu used abracadabra Direct Primaries to chase Ambode out in 2019, he wants to repeat the same template for 2023 presidential primaries of the APC.

All he will do is to pay some hungry idiots in every state to manufacture numbers and you could be surprised to see Tinubu winning APC ticket with about 23 million votes.

Ask yourself why Gbajabiamila, one of Tinubu’s lapdogs, is the greatest proponent of Direct Primaries?

But I can bet my early morning poo that Buhari will return that document to the National Assembly.

The politicians and people that hate this man did not really hate for any tangible reason than the fact that he will be too powerful as a president.

He has a big influence now without holding public office for 13years now and becoming the president will give them serious headache.

My thought though.

Penguin2:


After Tinubu used abracadabra Direct Primaries to chase Ambode out in 2019, he wants to repeat the same template for 2023 presidential primaries of the APC.

All he will do is to pay some hungry idiots in every state to manufacture numbers and you could be surprised to see Tinubu winning APC ticket with about 23 million votes.

Ask yourself why Gbajabiamila, one of Tinubu’s lapdogs, is the greatest proponent of Direct Primaries?

But I can bet my early morning poo that Buhari will return that document to the National Assembly.

Mtchewww

BAT 2023

seunmsg:
Everything is all about Tinubu. I guess news no longer sells except Tinubu’s name is attached to it. Almost every reasonable political stakeholders other than the governors have expressed support for the legalization of direct primary but no, we must make it about Tinubu just to discredit the good intention of the law.

Oga can you please worship your idol/god quietly without rubbing him in our faces? Not every person will lick Tinubu's feet like you. Just hold your beliefs and opinions to yourself, gather your ancestors and clan and vote for him as president when the time for election comes. Just leave us alone!

Noted

Ok

Human ... They beg for money once they have it they look for power and after that they look for more power...

Why can't tinubu concentrate on his old age and on uniting his children

Mark my words, Tinubu will never be president

Remember this is the same card they played for former governor Ambode.Hehehe! Someone is about to be smoke out.

What is democracy if all ELIGIBLE VOTERS are denied the RIGHT to be FULLY involved in all the processes of Election? Direct Primary is the antidote to Godfatherism, Impunity and the obnoxious levying of myriads of negativities on the citizenry by self-appointed "potentates" in the system.

This man just want to waste his money. Some people go hit money buy house during the election period

I am not a fan of Jagaban, but this man is not afraid of competition. He is ready to face the war. He faced it for Buhari and won. During OBJ, he faced him and won. And he even faced Abacha during his military and he took care of many politicians who ran away. Now, he is ready to fight in direct primary. Meanwhile his opponents are busy lobbying to choose who they want cos they dont want to compete with him. Lol.

They are only wasting their time.

Direct primary is the most transparent primary election

It is well

We keep recycling old cargos

Hmmm

2023

Onepvp:
Tinubu greatest offense is foisting a useless incompetent brain-dead man on us as president.

I am a Lagosian, but I will never forgive him for that

To think that you're not God! What if you're Jesus Christ who was nailed to the Cross but is now being suplicated by the very people who killed Him?

For simple definitions, a direct primary is one whereby members of a political party choose their party’s candidates while an indirect primary is one whereby party members elect delegates from among themselves who in turn decide the party’s flagbearers for upcoming elections.
I PREFER THE DIRECT PRIMARY OVER THE INDIRECT.

.

Bomond:
Mark my words, Tinubu will never be president

Trust Nigerians

They know that Tinubu can't become president, but they will fail to tell you, who will be.

Osibanjo can defeat him even in direct primaries

Bomond:
Mark my words, Tinubu will never be president

But your word is weightless! Who cares for your word?

If Tinubu or the SW can pull this off, All other regions in the South should Forget about Presidency or Vice presidency for at least 30years...
Because the SW is erecting it's own Oligarchy will the succeed and become the King in The south?
I'd like to find out