2019: Shehu Sani, General Saleh, Kicks, as Kaduna APC Adopts Indirect Primaries
By Alex Uangbaoje, Kaduna
Senator Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone and the former Senator who represented the zone at the seventh senate, Rtd General Sani Salah, has kicked against the adoption of indirect primaries adopted by the Kaduna Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Earlier, the Kaduna State Executive Committee (SEC), of the party led by Air Cdre Emmanuel Jekada had in a resolution at the end of their meeting said, “the State Executive Committee (SEC), in line with the directives of the National Executive Committee (NEC), sat today, Thursday, 6 September, 2018 and adopted “Indirect Primary” as the mode of conduct of the party primary elections in Kaduna state.”
This did not go down well with Sani, who was at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Thursday, immediately after the party’s state National Executive Committee (NEC), meeting, where he disagreed with the NEC’s stand to adopt indirect primaries.
According to him, direct primaries is the only way to abolish politics of money bags and god fatherism, lack of internal party politics.
“If really those who are running away from direct primaries have performed based on their claims there would not be this phobia for direct primaries in Kaduna State.
“The best way to be a good and committed member of APC is to provided for the electorates better alternative which I Shehu Sani stands for.
“APC should create a path for Nigeria and Nigerians, by changing the political landscape of the country for better.” He said.
The Senator, who one is not sure if he will remain in the party if he eventually lose the battle to Governor Nasir Elrufai, when he was asked, simply said, “time will tell.”
On his part, Senator Saleh, said, “as an aspirant to the office of senator for Kaduna central senatorial district, I do not agree to indirect method of conducting the primaries because of obvious reasons.
“The party has just concluded the state executive committee meeting at which they read out a resolution that they prefer the indirect method in the forthcoming primary elections.
“Well, that is the state’s position and not the final say, national headquarters required that every states executive committees must submit a written request signed by state’s executive committee members, critical stakeholders as well as aspirants to various offices in the state.
“So far out of these three categories of people, the state executive committee has taken its own stand, its left for critical stakeholders and aspirants to start their own position on this matter.”
He explained that, one of his reasons was the manner in which the congresses were conducted. Saying, “it was conducted in such a way that certain individuals were given the opportunity to select the entire executive members from every wards and LGA in the state. It was not free and fair so I don’t think I will be doing justice to myself, to subject myself to general election under that condition.
“The second aspect is that there is litigation on the conduct of the congresses and if i subject myself to an election under this condition and I am elected by illegal excos then the whole thing will be an exercise in futility because it can be nullified by the court.
“The safest, fairest and best thing is for us to throw this thing open if you are not afraid of the people that you are aspiring to represent, subject yourself to election by them.”
