The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, Sunday, said the 36 State Governors are not afraid of direct primaries as being alleged by some Nigerians.
Sule stated this during a panel discussion at a town hall meeting being organized by Yiaga Africa on the passage of the Electoral Bill.
Sule said, “We just finished our elections in APC in some states and they don’t even have excos in that party, so that way they choose direct primaries.”
He also asserted that the Governors respond to the desires of their people in making party decisions.
Sule also noted that the governors do not want to “boxed” into an option because it may lead to many legal issues.
“The state governors are not against direct primaries. The governor’s had a meeting and decided that ‘Why do you want to box us into an option?’ The bill is far more than direct or indirect primaries.
“In our party, the APC, there are three options. Consensus, indirect or direct. We want to avoid constitutional issues
Also, the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, said the Electoral Bill if passed into law will add value to the electoral process.
However, Jega accused governors of manipulating indirect primaries as they have been doing and might do same with direct primaries.
He also called on NASS to give INEC the law to operate 2023 elections.
According to him, INEC made 31 recommendations to the amend the 2010 Electoral Act to conduct credible elections, but NASS only approved 25 of the recommendations.
He maintained that governors will still manipulate the electoral process even if direct primaries are conducted.