TheCable

The Kano state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has adopted direct primary to select candidates for all elective positions in the 2019 elections.

Direct primary is a process where interested members of the party vote for a candidate, while indirect primary election would require delegates to choose the party’s candidate.

The party made this known in a statement signed by Abdullahi Sanusi, its chairman, after a meeting with members of the executive committee.

Sanusi said the decision will “improve the stock of the APC in the coming 2019 election as well as other elections.”

“The decision was unanimously endorsed by the state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje: the two Senators Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya and Senator Barau Jibrin, 13 members of the House of Representatives led by the Chief Whip, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa,  33 members of the state House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Hon. Kabiru Al Hassan Rurum, 53 state Executive members of the Committee of the party, 44 elected chairmen of the party and 44 local government party chairmen,  as well as secretaries of the party in the 44 LGs ,” the statement read.

“Direct primary for selecting candidates stands to imbue greater confidence among members of the party, guarantees openness in governance and ensure free and fair election.

“The party in the state believes that direct primaries give more transparency to political participation and regaining the confidence that has been lost over time as the process of selecting candidates gets increasingly mired in secrecy.”

The chairman called for the support of party members, asking them to “always be peaceful and law abiding citizens.”

The party had threatened to discipline any of its members against its choice to select candidates through direct primary.

It had initially decided to adopt indirect primary for all elective positions apart from presidential.