The Anambra All Progressives Congress Stakeholders Forum (AASF) firmly opposes any alleged attempts to impose indirect primaries.
Furthermore, they believe that direct primaries ensure transparency and fairness in selecting the party’s governorship candidate for November’s election.
Meanwhile, the forum condemned the move as undermining internal democracy during a Monday press briefing in Abuja.
Specifically, convener Hycinth Okonkwo accused a governorship aspirant of influencing the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) to subvert democratic processes.
He argued such actions risked sidelining grassroots participation and transparency.
According to Okonkwo, the aspirant is allegedly using financial inducements to influence party structures and secure an unfair advantage.
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Okonkwo stated that credible intelligence reveals a governorship aspirant within the party attempted to subvert internal democracy.
This aspirant aims to impose indirect primaries for the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Anambra state, raising concerns.
Furthermore, he seeks to rig the process in his favor, manipulating party structures and denying Anambra citizens their choice.
The APC previously announced its timetable for governorship primaries, scheduling delegate elections for April 2 and the primary for April 5.
However, the Stakeholders Forum expressed concerns about potential undermining of these processes by the aspirant, who claims NWC backing.
In fact, he intends to bypass delegate elections entirely, which raises significant red flags for party integrity.
Okonkwo alleged that this individual boasted about the NWC’s support due to the illicit funds he has deployed.
Moreover, he claimed the National Chairman would not conduct delegate elections but would use his delegate list instead.
Consequently, the forum urged immediate action to ensure transparency and fairness, calling on President Bola Tinubu to safeguard democracy.
Okonkwo emphasized that integrity and competence must guide the selection process, not financial influence.
“The Anambra APC Stakeholders Forum categorically rejects these criminal tendencies and will not allow the soul of our party to be sold to the highest bidder,” he said.
“We insist that such an aspirant should be disqualified immediately from the race, as his actions are a direct affront to the integrity of the APC and the democratic principles that our great party stands for.”
The forum also appealed for direct or consensus primaries as an alternative to indirect primaries, which they believe are more susceptible to manipulation. Okonkwo urged all aspirants to focus on issue-based campaigns rather than resorting to bribery or other forms of electoral malpractice.
Anambra is preparing for its governorship election later this year, which highlights ongoing challenges within political parties.
Specifically, these challenges revolve around transparency and adherence to democratic norms.
Notably, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has slated the election for November 8, creating expectations for a highly contested race.
Meanwhile, the APC’s national leadership has not yet officially responded to the allegations.
Furthermore, they have yet to clarify their position on the mode of primaries for the Anambra election.
Meanwhile, stakeholders within the party are calling for vigilance and collective action to ensure a fair and credible process.