…Urges APC To Avoid Political Instability
In a statement made available to newsmen in Akure, the Ondo State Capital, Hon. Banji Okunomo, a constitutional lawyer, on Tuesday, addressed the tensions and apprehensions following the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections conducted across the state. He highlighted the palpable tensions and widespread misinformation regarding the ongoing collation and ratification process of APC the Primaries across Nigeria by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
According to him, “since the conduct of the APC primary elections across the various states of the federation, particularly in Ondo State, there have been palpable tensions, apprehensions, and widespread misinformation regarding what the eventual outcome would be when the National Working Committee (NWC) concludes its collation and ratification process,” Okunomo stated.
He emphasised the political implications these tensions could have for the party and the democratic process, advising that, “I do not anticipate that the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will allow itself to be used to alter, distort, or overturn the outcome of the primaries conducted across the various federal constituencies, senatorial districts, and state constituencies in Ondo State.”
The former local government chairman in Ondo State, explained that if the intention had been to impose candidates, there would have been no need to constitute electoral committees and deploy them to conduct elections at the ward level in accordance with established procedures. “The entire process was guided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, the APC Constitution, and the party’s electoral guidelines. These legal and constitutional frameworks collectively regulate the process of selecting candidates for elective offices”, he said.
As a prominent chieftain of the APC, he pointed out that the consensus option failed in Ondo State because several aspirants did not agree with the leadership’s preference for a consensus arrangement. “Ordinarily, consensus provides room for negotiation, compromise, and accommodation of competing interests, thereby producing a mutually beneficial outcome for all stakeholders.”
However, with the collapse of the consensus option, the party adopted the direct primary system. “A direct primary is inherently competitive. It is not designed to produce multiple winners. It is a contest in which there must be a winner and there must be losers. Therefore, anyone who participates in such a process must be prepared to accept whichever outcome emerges from the democratic exercise.”
Raising a critical question, he said, “Why should anyone expect an outcome different from the results already declared by the duly constituted electoral committees at the various levels?” Okunomo believes that such expectations are misplaced and unnecessary, urging the party to work collectively to douse the tension and reassure members that the democratic process will be respected.
He further asserted, “I do not believe that the National Working Committee will permit itself to be used for the purpose of imposing candidates or substituting names outside the outcome of the primaries. Such an action would not only be anti-democratic but would also be contrary to the party’s constitution, electoral guidelines, and the principles of fairness and justice.”
Okunomo cautioned that the anticipation of an entirely different set of names emerging from the final publication and submission of candidates’ names by the NWC should not create false impressions. “I therefore wish to disabuse the minds of those who believe that strange results will be announced or that individuals who did not emerge victorious in the primaries will somehow be substituted for those who won. Such fears are unfounded.”
He concluded by reinforcing that the expectation should be for the NWC to uphold and affirm the results as declared by the duly authorized electoral committees, warning that anything contrary would lead to avoidable litigation, internal disputes, and political instability. “Such a course of action would not be healthy for the APC, and I do not believe the party will allow itself to be dragged into such an unfortunate situation.”
The outspoken Okunomo reiterated that the APC has an opportunity to further strengthen internal democracy by respecting the will of its members as expressed through the primary elections, stating, “That is the path of justice, fairness, and political maturity, and it is the path the party should follow.”
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