The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ebonyi State Chapter, says it would follow the adoption of the use of direct primaries for all elective offices ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The party noted that with the controversies surrounding the just-concluded Wards, Local government and State Congresses across the country, for which Ebonyi was inclusive, it was expedient to use direct primaries to avoid litigations.

In a statement, the state chairman of the party, Dr. Sylvester Nwambe, disclosed that the decision was reached after the meeting of the state Executive committee, stakeholders and aspirants to various offices held at the APC Secretariat in Abakaliki.

The chairman said that it was in line with the party’s directives that primary elections into all elective offices shall be by direct primaries or otherwise agreed by stakeholders in each state, that Ebonyi has decided in view of prevailing circumstances, to adopt the mode of Direct primaries in the state.

He added that the motion for the use of the direct primaries was moved by House of Representatives aspirant for Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency, Mazi Ogbonnaya Onu, and seconded by former member house of Representatives and aspirant for Ishielu/Ezza North Federal constituency, Hon. Jonathan Eze.

“APC directed that Primary elections into all elective offices shall be by direct primaries. Above all, the controversies surrounding the Wards, Local Government and State Congresses across the country, Ebonyi State inclusive make direct primaries inevitable. This is because indirect primaries predicated on those disputed Congresses will compromise provisions of the Electoral Act on Party monitoring and then open up floodgate of litigations,” Nwambe said.

He said that the state executive committee and stakeholders of the party in the state unanimously agreed to adopt the use of direct primaries into all elective offices in Ebonyi state so as to promote all-inclusive participation, fairness, level playing ground, and eliminate corrupt tendencies usually associated with the indirect system of primary elections.

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