APC govs, Buhari clash on direct primary as Gbajabiamila sells Buhari on it

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed President Muhammadu Buhari is in support of the direct primary which the National Assembly just passed into law.

Gbajabiamila could have gone to the presidency to lobby Buhari on Thursday, using the Not-too-young-to-run Act to draw Buhari in.

Buhari signed the signature ill into law before the 2019 election, and many applauded him for that.

According to Gajabiamila, the National Assembly backed direct primary because it would activate the implementation of the Not Too Young To Run Act.

Direct primary allows all party members to participate in the party’s primary elections for all positions

“Mr President has always been I support of direct primary. We all know that. The whole world knows that. He has always been from his inception in politics because he is a very popular man,” he said.

Nigerian governors have objected to the law, as the opposition party threatened to go to court to challenge the law should Buhari sign it.

While some insist parties should be free to adopt whatever method they choose in democracy, others, including the APC governors claim it will be too expensive and cumbersome for INEC to handle.

“I have heard that argument about cost. And this is what I have to say. Do you put a price tag to democracy? I don’t think you should. What is too much and what is too little to buy freedom and democracy? I don’t think you should put a price tag to it,” said Gbajabiamila.

Immediately after the NASS passed the bill, the APC governors, operating under the aegis of Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), rejected the lawmakers’ position,

Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee even summoned the National Assembly caucus of the party to a meeting over proposed amendments to the Electoral Act.

But all the efforts have failed.

And now that Buhari has bought into it, the APC governors will have to show what thy have got to prevent Buhari fro signing the bill to law