The United Action for Change has commended the Lagos State All Progressives Congress for its decision to adopt direct primary to pick its candidates for the 2019 general elections.
The group described the decision as victory for its convener and a former National Legal Adviser of the APC, Dr Muiz Banire (SAN), who, it said, had been at the forefront of the clamour for internal democracy in the APC.
The national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had on Tuesday at the party’s stakeholders’ meeting announced the party’s adoption of direct primary.
Tinubu urged members to hold on to their party membership cards and to ensure they obtain their Permanent Voter Cards before the deadline.
In a statement on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Niyi Akinsiju, the UAC commended Tinubu for “turning a new leaf,” in response to its convener’s long clamour for internal democracy.
The UAC noted that “this new embrace of the true values of internal democracy by former Governor Tinubu,” came a week after it held its third annual lecture, with the theme, “Democracy without internal party democracy: A myth?’
The UAC, however, said it was not yet uhuru, as “there is a huge difference between the pronouncement and actually conducting a credible primary, which is the reason why we advise more vigilance on the part of the members of the party and the general public who are supposed to benefit from effective enthronement of democracy in our society.”
The group said for the Lagos APC direct primary to be credible, the party must have a credible and updated membership register, which must be displayed well ahead of the primaries.
“Aspirants must agree on the integrity of the register before its use; the venues for primaries must be publicised and known to all; officials that will conduct and manage the process must be neutral, independent and acceptable to all aspirants; there must be logistic support sufficient to cater for the exercise; security must be water-tight.”
