Electoral Act amendment: Allow parties to determine mode of primaries – SPN


The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) Tuesday kicked against imposition of either direct or indirect primaries on political parties in Nigeria through electoral Act 2021 amendment bill.
SPN in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, jointly signed by its Acting National Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye and National Secretary, Comrade Chinedu Bosah declared that political parties should be allowed  to democratically determine their mode of primaries.
  
The party stressed that there was no basis for the ongoing fight between the National Assembly and the Presidency on the electoral Act, saying, “the different positions held by the President and National Assembly on direct primaries are driven by self-serving, short-term interest and not the quest to strengthen democracy as they both claim.”                    “We see the controversy over the amendment bill as a reflection of in-fighting between two different sections. The different positions held by the President and National Assembly on direct primaries are driven by their self-serving, short-term interest and not the quest to strengthen democracy as they both claim”, it said.
SPN added, “Nevertheless, while we do not support either of the parties in the current dispute, we strongly hold that the mode of primary election, direct or indirect, should be an internal democratic decision of any party, not an imposition by an external law. It is the party members that should fight for the respect of their democratic right to truly choose their candidates in whatever form they deem desirable”.      
 “The fact is that the members of the National Assembly want to make direct primary mandatory because they believe it would make it easier  for them to get the return tickets.  On his part, President Buhari is out to protect the interest of state governors who consider it easier through indirect primaries to impose candidates or secure tickets for reelection or senatorial seats, which have become the playing ground of the former governors”.
SPN pointed out that “direct primaries is not a panacea for the problem of the imposition of candidates by governors and godfathers as the experiences of what obtains in both APC and PDP have shown”, adding, ” besides, it is illogical to think that the politicians in both APC and PDP, for instance, who buy votes and perpetuate mass rigging  in the general elections, cannot do same in the primary elections, either it is through direct or indirect arrangement”.
The party stressed, “more importantly, regardless of which mode of primary election is used, any candidate who emerges from the anti-poor, pro-capitalist parties like APC and PDP cannot fundamentally represent or defend the interests of working masses and the poor.”.
“So ordinary people must not line themselves behind any of the sections in the fight. They are both united against the poor in the government policies and actions. For instance, the National Assembly endorses all anti-poor policies of President Buhari which have worsened living conditions of the people”. 
“Therefore, it should not be a concern to the ordinary people how APC, PDP or other anti-poor political parties choose their candidates. Rather, working people should be prepared to reject them at the polls.”