Anambra: APC opts for Indirect Primary as INEC warns against sudden change in venues, dates
ABUJA: The All Progressives Congress APC has opted for the indirect mode of primary election ahead of its Anambra state Governorship Primary election slated for March 29.
The announcement came on a day the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC warned political parties against sudden changes in the venues and dates of their primary elections, saying such actions exerts a lot of logistics stress on it.
Speaking after a meeting of the National Working Committee NWC of the APC on Thursday in Abuja, National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru said the meeting considered the processes in the ongoing Anambra governorship election which is scheduled to be held by November 8, 2025.
According to him, the NWC took cognizance of the fact that advertisement had been made but that it seems the advertisement was seemingly projecting that the NWC had adopted the direct mode of primary when in actual fact no positive resolution of the NWC had been taken before Thursday’s meeting.
“At the NWC today it was put into consideration and now formally decided that the mode of emergence of the candidate for that election will be through indirect primary.
“In order to carry along all stakeholders, a stakeholders meeting with the state working committee, state caucus and the aspirants will hold at the national headquarters of the party on Tuesday next week”, he said.
He said the National Executive Committee NEC of the party has set up a committee to review the party’s constitution to expand its membership.
Basiru added that the NWC also considered its proposition to begin to engage with government appointees on their achievements of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
INEC warns against sudden changes
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun in a statement on Thursday said the Commission held its regular weekly meeting earlier in the day and reviewed its preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle Governorship election in Anambra State.
He said only 12 of the 19 registered political parties have submitted the detailed schedule of their primaries, urging other parties to comply within the stipulated timeframe.
According to him, by the provision of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election, the conduct of primaries for nomination of candidates by Political Parties commences in the next two weeks i.e. 20th March 2025 and ends on 10th April 2025.
“So far, 12 out of the 19 registered Political Parties in the country have submitted the detailed schedules of their primaries. As agreed at our last consultative meeting with Political Parties held in January, doing so early will enable the Commission to plan for the effective monitoring of the primaries in line with the provision of Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022. The seven parties that are yet to submit the required information are hereby reminded to do so in earnest.
“Furthermore, we urge Political Parties to adhere strictly to their proposed schedules. Sudden changes to the dates, venues and modes of the primaries lead to avoidable demobilisation and remobilisation of our monitoring staff, thereby disrupting the Commission’s workflow. This also adds to the cost of monitoring primaries and the overall conduct of elections and electoral activities”, he stated.
