The All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted the direct mode of primary for its Kogi State governorship primary election.
Punch reported that the APC deputy chairman (North), Abubakar Kyar, in a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stated that the party will adopt direct primary.
In the letter, dated 6 April, Mr Kyari said the party is rescinding its letter of 25 January, where it declared to use indirect primary.
The party said the primary will hold on 14 April, while a special Congress to ratify the candidate will hold on 15 April.
“We refer to our earlier letter, dated January 25, 2023, with Reference no: APC/NHDQ/INEC/19/023/191 wherein we notified the commission of the mode of primary election for the conduct of the gubernatorial primary election in Kogi State.
“However, our great party, the All Progressives Congress, has reviewed the modalities for the conduct of the gubernatorial primary election in Kogi State and has therefore resorted to adopt the direct mode of primary election instead of the indirect mode, as earlier communicated.
“Following the above, there shall be a special congress to ratify the candidate with the highest number of votes at the gubernatorial primary election in Kogi State scheduled for Saturday, April 15, 2023,” the letter reads.
Direct primary election is the mode of election where registered members of a party vote for who they want to be the candidate of their party.
Indirect primary election is the mode where party members elect delegates who in turn elect the party’s candidates on their behalf.
The aspirants for the APC ticket in Kogi State include; Abdulkareem Asuku, the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello, Kogi Stare Auditor General, Ahmed Ododo, and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Salami Ozigi-Deedat
Others are the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Murtala Ajaka, and Smart Adeyemi, the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District.
INEC will conduct the governorship election in the state on 11 November.