Rivers 2019: APC crisis deepens as Abe faction adopts direct primaries

The disagreement with the All Progressives Congress appears not to have come to an end as the faction of the party in support of Senator Magnus Abe on Monday adopted direct primaries as a form of selecting candidates ahead of the 2019 general election.

Recall that the Rotimi Amaechi-led faction of the party had on Thursday adopted indirect primaries as a mode of selecting candidates for election.

But a communique issued on Monday by the Abe faction of the party after its State Executive Committee Meeting in Port Harcourt indicated that the decision to adopt the direct primaries was aimed at making elections to reflect the will and aspirations of the people.

“The State Executive Committee commends his Excellency Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman and members of the National Executive Committee of our great party on their recent decision to entrench internal and participatory democracy in the party through the approval of the use of direct primaries as the mode of selecting candidates for election in our party.

“The State Executive Committee unanimously adopts and confirms the use of direct primaries for choosing all our candidates in the forthcoming 2019 elections, as the mode affords party members the opportunity to participate in the process.

“The above decisions are in consonance with the party’s position and desire to make elections in 2019 and beyond reflective of the will and aspiration of the people,” the communique signed by the state factional chairman of the APC, Peter Odike, read.

In his remarks, the governorship aspirant of the APC, Senator Magnus Abe, explained that forms for Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly were being sold at the factional party secretariat located on 173, Aba Road in Port Harcourt.

Abe said, “I am just coming from a meeting, where a unanimous decision was taken; that there should be direct primaries in Rivers State APC. That is my stand. We are selling forms here in this office; if you want to buy, you can go there and purchase yours.”

But a chieftain of the APC in the state, Darlington Nwauju, told our correspondent that there was a faction in the party, adding that the only APC in Rivers State was the one chaired by Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.