As the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) prepares for its Congress, indications emerged at the weekend that governors across the country, in a bid to impose their preferred candidates for elective posts, are looking for ways to circumvent party primary elections.
Already, party members are complaining bitterly of how governors chose their own governorship candidates ahead of the primaries elections and rush to inform and introduce them to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as consensus candidates of their different states.
In other legislative elective posts like the Senate and House of Representatives, some governors and party leaders with strong government backing are buying up nomination forms for their candidates and blocking other aspirants from purchasing the forms.
However, the leadership of the party under its Chairman,APC Nentawe Yilwatda insists that every party man willing to contest will get a fair chance.
In Nasarawa State, party members complain bitterly against Governor Abdullahi Sule’s imposition of Senator Ahmed Wadada as the governorship candidate against other aspirants that bid for the same post. A party member and commentator, Mohammed Sidi Zagizagi warned that the move by Governor Sule is a “minefield waiting to explode”. He called on the leadership of the party to save it from an avoidable internal crisis.
From Osun state, APC members alleged that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has purchased available nomination forms for his preferred candidates into the Senate, House of Representatives, and State’s House of Assembly, thereby depriving other aspirants from purchasing their own forms.
The same fear has already gripped APC party faithfuls in Ekiti State where they have rejected alleged endorsement of some candidates by the governor.
However, responding to the allegations of imposition of candidates, APC chairman’s spokesman, Abimbola Tooki said: “The party has made it clear that there is form for everyone who is willing to contest election at any level from the House of Assembly to the Presidency. This is the position of the party”, he concluded.
