PDP kicks against direct primaries, asks Senate to reverse passage

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has kicked against the passage by the Senate of a provision in the Electoral Act that makes conduct of direct primaries compulsory.

The opposition party in a statement on Tuesday described the passage by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Senate of direct primaries 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 party says the decision by the Senate is a huge 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 election, 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 majority of Nigerians,” Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary of the party, said.

Senate after a voice vote on Monday amended the clause 52 to now empower INEC to determine mode of voting and transmission of results.

Other clauses that Senate rescinded its decision was on clauses 43, 63, and 87 which borders on mode of conduct of primary elections by political parties, ballot boxes and voting devices.