…Adopts direct primary for Osun guber election

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday said after due considerations, the party leadership has approved the use of direct method in the conduct of governorship primary of the party in Osun state.
He made the disclosure while speaking to newsmen at the party’s national secretariat shortly after the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja.
Speaking on the outcome of the NWC meeting, Oshiomhole said Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state, has been appointed to head the panel to conduct the exercise.
Justifying the direct primary option, Oshiomhole said it is more democratic and that majority of all the stakeholders of party in Osun have indicated preference for it.
“We expect that regardless of who wins the primaries that the remaining candidates will queue behind the winner. We have decided that in order to ensure a freer and fair process. It is in line with the wishes of the party members that the election of our candidate be conducted on the basis of direct primaries,” he said.
Oshiomhole also said the leadership has carefully selected members of the panel that will conduct the exercise to be men of honour and integrity.
“In order to ensure that the exercise is conducted in a most transparent and credible manner, we have appointed the Governor of Zamfara state, Abdulazizi Yari to head the primary committee,” he said.
On recent Sokoto killings, the APC chair condemned the ugly development, and urged relevant authorities and security agencies to ensure such killings were put to an end.
He said the party is imploring Nigerians not to associate the killings with ethnic or religious coloration, as this would amount to shielding those involved in the criminality from being dealt with by law enforcement agencies.
“The NWC condemns all these killings regardless of where it took place. We call on security agents to try and show that they are really in charge of the security situation in the country.
“Our law enforcement agencies must do something within their capacity to convince Nigerians that they are working seriously to end the wanton killings,” he said
Oshiomhole, who said the party was still in a celebration mood over last week’s victory in the governorship election in Ekiti state, enjoined the Governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi not dwell on the past, but quickly focus on how to approach issues of governance and try to accommodate the various interests in the state.
According to him, what APC is particularly happy about is not just the victory but the fact that the conduct of election has been adjudged to be most free and fair.