…Asiwaju favoured in vote-rich States of Kano, Lagos, Borno, Katsina
Two different camps within the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), were at the weekend mounting pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to take their position on the amended Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The pressure on President Buhari, according to multiple sources, is majorly on the contentious provision in the amended Electoral Act that provides for direct primaries in the selection of party candidates for elections.
It was gathered that majority of the governors are against the provision, as they feel that it denies them the godfather role of dictating candidates from their States for election.
However, supporters of the 2023 presidential aspiration of National Party Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, were on their part lobbying the president to assent the bill given what they claim as his advantage using the option.
There are reports that Tinubu has been able to get the advantage in vote-rich States like Lagos, Kano, Borno and Katsina, which return the majority of votes in direct party primaries.
Tinubu is also believed to have consolidated himself among APC members in many states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), with Akwa Ibom, Delta among such States in the South-South.
The opposition to Asiwaju in the Tinubu camp as represented by the governors of Yobe, Kebbi and Jigawa, respectively, Mai Mala Buni, Senator Atiku Bagudu and Mohammed Abubakar.
Meanwhile, President Buhari is said to be walking between the devil and the deep blue sea on the matter of direct primaries as he could face a popular rebellion in the National Assembly over the matter.
Besides the strong support for Tinubu from Speaker Gbajabiamila and Senate President Ahmad Lawan, the majority of National Assembly members are also craving for direct primaries.
Some regional champions are also said to be pushing the agenda that the use of direct primaries would give the North an advantage in the selection of presidential candidates based on the alleged superiority of the region according to population.
The National Assembly, in passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, had provided that the selection of candidates should be by direct primaries. The extant Electoral Act on the other hand provides for the use of direct, indirect, or consensus.
