A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Adegboyega Adegoke, has threw its weight behind the National Assembly for adopting direct primaries for political parties to pick their candidates for elections.
This is just as he said Nigeria need a benevolent dictator to turn things around in the country.
Adegoke said these while participating on a political programme on an Ibadan-based radio, Solutions 93.9 FM, titled, Politics in Focus.
The Senate and the House of Representatives recently passed the harmonized version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which allowed for direct primaries as a means of returning democracy to the people.
Adegoke said adopting indirect primaries by political parties in the country in the last 22 years of our present democracy has turned the governors to emperors who always want to impose their wish on members of their party, stating that direct primaries would make party members have sense of belonging.
While charging President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act as passed by the National Assembly, the Bada Balogun of Ibadanland, insisted that the time has come to adopt new method by the political parties as it would largely reduce the influence of money in our political space.
According, “The mandatory direct primaries method is an opportunity for Nigerians to freely elect their leaders as it gives them the political power to override governors and god-fathers impunity of imposing candidates.
“It is very sad to discover that the governors are opposed to the window of freedom given by the National Assembly. This experience gives goose bumps because the governors do not want the people of Nigeria to be able to freely elect potential candidates in the political party through internal party democracy.’’
Adegoke who is the Founder of Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre (AARC), maintained that Nigeria needs a leader who will whole heartedly work for its development and progress, noting that such a person would not care if he loses the second term bid.
