State governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), are reaching out to the partys caucuses in the National Assembly in their latest bid to forge a compromise with the leadership of the legislative arm on the controversial direct primary clause in the Electoral Act amendment Bill.
The Bill is currently awaiting the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari who is an aid to be still consulting widely to determine whether to sign it or not.
It was gathered that the Chairman of the APC Governors Forum, who is the Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, has already met with some principal officers of the National Assembly, in Abuja, on the matter.
Governor Bagudu and the legislators, sources said, discussed the need to ensure that the APC is not divided by the disagreement on the Bill ahead of the 2023 elections.
It was also gathered that some of the APC governors also met with Senate President Ahmed Lawan to discuss how the grey areas in the Bill could be addressed with a view to ensuring that the APC as a party presents a common position on the matter.
Recall that Bagudu had last month led other APC governors to reject the direct primary clause in the electoral bill, which mandates political parties to adopt the direct primary system.
However, the National Assembly appears determined to see the Bill signed into law with the direct primary clause included in it.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, after a recent meeting with Buhari, said the National Assembly did not have to lobby the President to sign the electoral amendment bill in its current form.
