Former National Chairman of the defunct Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) and now a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Sam Nkire said it was wrong to force political parties to adopt direct primaries as the only method of choosing candidates for elections.
Nkire, member of the National Caucus of the APC said his rejection of compulsory direct primaries was not only because it was expensive and cumbersome to actualise but it subjects the political parties to ‘excessive legislation and control’.
He cautioned the legislature against the temptation of taking away the rights of political parties to choose their modus operandi in the course of carrying out their rightful duties, adding that “direct primary should be a matter of choice and not compulsion.”
The former national chairman of a political party that once produced two governors, said he knew that no reasonable party would want to field a candidate it considered incapable of winning an election, no matter the force of law.
He expressed confidence that constitutionally established institutions such as political parties should be able to make wise and justifiable decisions, regarding candidates they choose for elections or be ready to face the rule of law if they do otherwise.
Nkire, however, commended the National Assembly for choosing and legislating the transmission of election results electronically, in accordance with the norm in modern world.