The Senator representing Zamfara Central, Kabiru Garba Marafa, has said that there are a lot of negative repercussions awaiting the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the decision to conduct indirect primaries at the states’ level.
Marafa, a governorship aspirant of the party in Zamfara State, said there may be a lot of litigation and defections in the party following the decision to allow governors manipulate their ways through indirect primaries by delegates.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, the senator said the party may also lose some elected positions to the opposition parties after emerging victorious all as a result of the indirect primaries, which he said would be done by delegates that were illegally selected during congresses in many states.
He said, however, that the decision to conduct direct primaries for the presidential election would save the party at the centre because nobody would challenge the party either within or outside as the right procedure is adopted.
He said many National Assembly members of the APC would not be obedient to the party any longer with the kind of decision taken on indirect primaries at state levels.
”One, I see it as a vote of no confidence on the congresses conducted months ago. Two, it shows how committed and intelligent Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu is to the party and the president. Also, it shows how committed Oshiomhole is. Three, it shows their hands were tight.
“Since the NEC is populated by the governors and their cronies, whatever they want would scale through.
“They were aware that the congresses were flawed and that they were subject to litigation across the country. The present NWC were convinced that most of what the congresses did wouldn’t stand with time.
”You are going to see the repercussions. When the National Assembly resumes, you’ll see that a lot of people won’t be obedient to the party any longer. That’s what it means.
“Undoubtedly people would want to pick tickets elsewhere and contest. The people of Zamfara are ready to vote for Buhari, but in other elections, they will vote for personalities.”
Asked if court judgment did not come in their favour in the ongoing litigation against the party’s congresses, he said: “We have several options, and we’ll take one if we feel and are convinced that we are not fairly treated.
“Since the governors are not interested in direct primaries and what they did in their states was like a child play, the NWC decided that let’s hold the centre.
“The delegates won’t be the ones to elect the president so that courts won’t quash the president’s ticket.
“They’ve also realized that the masses truly believe in the person of president Muhammadu Buhari, but the governor’s, most of them, lost relevance in their states. It is only somebody that isn’t relevant that won’t want direct primaries.
“It’s a shame that a senator would call for direct primary, while a governor would object it. The governors are the ones that are afraid of direct primaries, but they’re supposed to be the stronger ones.”
He added that while it could be argued that the leadership has taken proactive decision to save the head, it tells a lot on the party structure and the hierarchy, saying “It means the party can’t sanction the governors.
“Since the governors insisted and the party needs them for several reasons, let them go and do what they want to do in their states. It’s a thumbs up for the party on one hand and on the other it shows that the party is weak.
“I think what the party did yesterday was an excellent decision. Let’s separate the president from what happened.”
