Anyim defends APC’s direct primary to elect Tinubu candidate

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Primary Election Committee, Pius Anyim, has said that the ruling party adopted the direct mode of primary to elect President Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the party for next year’s general elections in order to ensure inclusivity.

Anyim, in his opening remarks at the presidential primary collation in Abuja on Sunday, equally said the decision was taken to deepen democratic participation.

The former Senate President said that President Tinubu has, by this singular decision, dismantled the seemingly intractable obstacles hindering the much-desired electoral reforms in Nigeria today.

“The mode of this election is the direct primary system. The model is not only an effort to select candidates for the 2027 elections but, more importantly, to give effect to the long-standing call for electoral reforms, which culminated in fundamental amendments to the Electoral Act.

“By this groundbreaking model, the APC has become the first political party to adopt the direct primary election model for its presidential primary election. The central intent of the APC in adopting the direct primary model includes to deepen democratic participation, ensure inclusivity, and expand the political space.

“The essentials of the direct primary model include provision of opportunity for all members of the party to participate in the process; foreclosing the vote associated with delegate elections; offering transparency, as against secret ballot; and enhancing the confidence of each voter that their vote counts.

“These are the core values the APC not only seeks to promote but also to inculcate in our electoral system. Permit me to pay tribute to Mr President whose leadership of the party has become a compass that has guided the party this far.

“Mr President: you are swift to act, legendary in vision and catalytic in prosecuting reforms. By this singular act of adopting the direct primary election, you have dismantled the seemingly intractable obstacles hindering the much-desired electoral reforms in Nigeria today.

“You are not only a force behind the direct primary model of the APC, you are also answering the call for electoral transparency and democratic stability in Nigeria,” Anyim said.