The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday adopted direct primary to select its presidential candidate for the 2019 election and indirect primary for other positions.
This was part of the resolutions reached by the party during its 6th national executive council meeting held in Abuja.
Senatorial and governorship candidates are the other elective positions the party declined to adopt direct primary for coming election.
Announcing the resolutions after the NEC meeting, the governor of Plateau State, Mr. Solomon Lalong said the party recognises direct, indirect or consensus to choose it candidates.
However, he said states willing to use the direct primary method should write officially to the national secretariat.
The governor urged members to remain in unity as defection rocks the party.
Earlier at the NEC meeting, President Muhammadu Buhari asked the APC leaders in attendance to ensure that the decisions reached at the meeting were in the interest of the party.
He also urged the party’s leadership to comply with the Electoral Act and the APC’s Constitution while conducting primaries for the general elections.
The president stressed the need for free, fair and credible primaries, noting that the wave of defection in the party recently was not enough to upset the APC.
Also speaking, the chairman of APC, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole said those who exited from the party had done the party some good.
He described them as “conservatives” that needed to move away for the party to move forward.
“The decampees felt it will be a huge blow to our party. But I repeat, those that left for personal ambition, those with no political address, migrant politicians and rolling stones politicians, I won’t loss my sleep. Many felt my comments were arrogant but we needed to be blunt.
“We have purged ourselves of excess fat that will clog our veins and we are much more certain of our future.
“Those who have grievances arising from genuine misunderstanding, our responsibilities is to help our party to have common ground and genuinely resolve those issues and we have been trying our best to do so as can be attested to by those that have remained,” he said.
