The meeting of the All Progressives Congress APC on debate for and against Direct Primary Election method at the Aso Rock Villa on Tuesday had Governors, APC Caretaker leaders, National Assembly Lawmakers and the Vice President in attendance but it eventually turned out to be a Court Room where two major lawyers stood in front of a Judge to make their points.
Two lawyers led both camps, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was the lead counsel for the apostles against Direct Primaries while Femi Gbajabiamila was the lead attorney for the Pro-Direct Primary. No sooner than later, the Vice President who is known to be calm became uneasy and unsettled that his oratory skills failed to sway the lawmakers to undo the Direct Primary they voted for and concluded work on, both in the Senate and House chambers a few hours before the Villa meeting.
Gbajabiamila reeled out his compelling argument in favour of Direct Primaries amidst pin-drop silence followed by thunderous applause from Senators and House of Reps members in attendance. Sometimes ambition can turn a Politician against the wishes of the people, what else could make anyone be silently brutal against Direct Primaries if not 2023 ambition. The maturity and intellectual disposition of Femi became obvious to the APC members in the hall, that direct primary gives the masses power to determine a party’s flag bearer from Local Government to Presidential level, a noble credence to the potency and viability of grassroots members of any political party. More importantly, it cures the forbidden fruit milling around the legality of using a caretaker committee with a sitting Governor to present the party’s flag bearers to INEC Nigeria Direct primary requires the participation of many, not a few bourgeoisie. This will legitimize internal party elections and even Congresses supervised by the caretaker committee, and further save APC from any future judicial reprimand.
How the lawmakers of Northern extraction and Southerners alike particularly former Governors now Senators were able to align with Gbaja’s exposè ahead of the other lead counsel was the biggest mystery to non-parliamentarians at the meeting. The National Assembly members succeeded in getting a Presidential Nod for Direct Primaries as President Buhari as always canvassed for this, knowing his talakawa background. Now, all politicians will sit up and be more responsible to those who elected them into office.
The journey to 2023 has started. The Youths, Nigerian women and social media politicians, at home and diaspora should drop their hesitancy and go to their various wards and local communities to join political parties of their choice where they will have vantage privilege to initiate the reforms in leadership recruitment for the country.