No fewer than 30 State Chairmen and some members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress opposed to the adoption of direct primaries by the party for next year’s election met in Abuja on Sunday.
The State Chairmen and NEC members, who switched the venue of their meeting after it was leaked to the leadership of the party, had the backing of some governors elected on the platform of the APC and aspirants for next year’s elections.
The APC had last week adopted direct primaries for the production of its candidates for next year’s election, with several top ranking party members opposing the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee on the move.
Those opposed to it had earlier scheduled their meeting on Sunday for Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, but switched to Barcelona Hotel after the venue was leaked to the leadership of the party.
The Acting National Publicity of the APC, Yekini Nabena, had in a statement in the early hours of Sunday, published elsewhere on this news platform, warned against the meeting, a development that led to the change of venue.
No fewer than 30 State Chairmen and a few national officers outside backed by some state governors met on the way forward in the face of the insistence of Oshiomhole and others to go ahead with direct primaries for the elections.
Some of those at the venue of the meeting resisted moves by those who wanted to speak with newsmen on the development.
The meeting held behind closed door.
The aggrieved APC members, however, said they will soon make their position known after the conclusion of consultations.
But the National Vice Chairman North East of the party, Comrade Mustapha Salihu, had at a press conference in his residence earlier in the day accused some leaders of the party from the South West of nursing conspiracy to foster regional imperialism.
Salihu said: “Before now, I did not have any feeling that there was possibility of a conspiracy, but when I see people planting stories, I now begin to suspect foul play.
“If one region feels that direct primary is what is best for them, I think they can canvass that at the regional level and they now give us reasons they need that.
- “I want to believe that in a democracy, the majority would always have their way and the minority, their say.”