Electoral Act Amendment: PDP kicks against direct primaries; Says no party has right to impose its processes on another

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has voiced its opposition to the passage of the provision for direct primaries in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The position of the opposition party was contained in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary.

PDP said in the statement that it had “received the news of the passage of the harmonized Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which among other things, provided for direct primaries for nomination of candidates for elections by political parties.

“Our party holds that it is the inalienable right of each political party, within the context of our constitutional democracy, to decide its form of internal democratic practices including the processes of nominating its candidates for elections at any level.

“The PDP also believes that no political party should force its own processes on any other political party as the direct primaries amendment, a practice of the All Progressives Congress (APC), sought to achieve.

“Having stated this, the PDP shall, within the next 48 hours, make its final decision in respect of this amendment known.”

Signed: