Primaries: ZLP threatens APC with suit over Electoral Act breach

The leadership of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has threatened to sue the All Progressives Congress for adopting both direct and indirect mode of primaries.
The APC had adopted both direct and indirect mode of primary elections and also instructed its state executives to choose the modality that would be suitable for them and communicate same to the national secretariat.
But quoting section 83 of the Electoral Act, the National Chairman of Zenith Labour Party, Barr Dan Nwanyanwu said the APC breeched the law by using both direct and indirect primaries for candidates’ nomination process.
He said the Electoral Act stated that a party can use direct or indirect primary election process and not both, adding that by adopting both procedures, the party has breached the Electoral Act.
The party chairman who issued the threat at the weekend in Abuja, during the unveiling of Zenith Labour Party, one of the newly registered political parties said, “Three political parties wanted to use direct and indirect primaries and it is against the law.
“Section 87(3) says that for direct primary all candidates must be given equal opportunity.
For the indirect, the act went further to state the criteria but the party that is ruling us, the APC is using both.
Our lawyers are already waiting.
You cannot use both legal and illegal primaries; it is unconstitutional and illegal.
We must obey the law.” Nwanwanwu stated that ZLP is monitoring the activities of the ruling party, adding that if the party does not reverse it decisions before the 9th of October, ZLP will have no option that to drag it before the law court.
ZNL further argued that APC went as far as allowing the state executives, an entity unknown to the Electoral Act to take decisions on behalf of the party, a development he described as an anomaly.
“We are breaking laws everyday even as it affects other political parties.
This is why Zenith party will challenge it in the court,” Nwanyanwu emphasised.