Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Farouk Aliyu, says the party is prepared to conduct direct primaries in states where consensus arrangements fail ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Monday, Aliyu said the APC was already making preparations for direct primaries in states where aspirants refuse to accept consensus candidates.
“I guess it’s the issue probably everywhere. But as regards to our own party, just like I told you, I’m chairing a committee to screen aspirants into the House of Representatives,” he said.
“The Abia you spoke about, you know, we have an uncountable number of aspirants, and we have virtually screened everyone. Which means the party has accepted and allowed anybody that is interested to come in and try his luck or her luck.”
Aliyu said the party would allow aspirants to contest where agreements on consensus candidates could not be reached.
“We will screen, anybody that fits the bill will go, and then direct primaries will certainly be it,” he said.
“Certainly the party is preparing into direct primaries where there are no consensus. And it looks like probably before the primaries, there will still be discussions, you know, which is here and there, to see whether there could be consensus. But where there are no consensus, just like the electoral act says, it will go for direct primaries. The party is getting prepared for that.”
Speaking further on concerns raised in some states over preferred candidates backed by governors and party stakeholders, Aliyu said aspirants who reject consensus arrangements would still be allowed to participate in primaries.
“The consensus candidate does not preclude anybody who does not agree,” he said.
“Now, let’s talk about Nasarawa state, where the governor, and in other states, the governor has his preferred candidate. That does not mean other candidates will not go for election.”
“Now, if in the wisdom of other contestants, they don’t agree with that, certainly direct primaries will be implemented.”
Aliyu added that no aspirant would be excluded from the process.
“So nobody’s going to be excluded. That I assure you, not only in Lagos, or in Nasarawa, or in Gombe, in so many states where the governors have come to put forward their preferred candidates,” he said.
“And I am assuring you, even in Lagos, if Jandor and Co. don’t agree with this consensus candidate, the field will be open for them to try that out.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
