Direct primary and APC’s electoral chances in Ebonyi

EBONYI State made sparkling history recently when a son of the state, Prof. Bernard Odoh, braced the tape as the first gubernatorial aspirant on All Progressives Congress (APC) to purchase the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms.

Odoh’s action was remarkable for two main reasons. When the APC leadership announced the sale of forms and their prices, many people saw the huge sums as a clever way to undermine the not too young law signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

But it happened that the first person to buy the APC governorship form was a young Ebonyi man. Odoh, at age 35, has been a source of encouragement to young people in the state. When he saw the way politics was used to shackle governance in the state, he resigned from the very influential office of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), on April 2, 2018.

Odoh has been a successful academic as a Professor of Geophysics in many universities in Nigeria

The stage is set in Ebonyi State for a clash between the progressives and reverse progressives in the APC and later with the conservatives that had held the state down through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

From the panic it exhibited last Wednesday, it is obvious that PDP knows that the end is on the horizon for its rule of impunity and oppression of our rural communities and the low income earners.

But the greatest political battle in the state would be within the state chapter of APC, where the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Senator Julius Ucha, have been engaged in endless political tussle for control and selfish ego.

The continued division between Onu and Ucha has been the reason for the abysmal failure of APC to live to its full potential in the state. Onu wants to contest the gubernatorial election in preparation for 2023 when he wants to run for president. He positioned himself to be appointed Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF) at the beginning of this administration, only to accept to serve as minister.

We, in Ebonyi APC know that the minister insisted on zoning the chairmanship of APC to Ebonyi north for his gubernatorial ambition, even though he has been fronting one Christian Chukwu (Bible). When Ucha contested the governorship in 2011, Onu was National Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

On the other hand, Ucha has contested the governorship for two times after serving Ebonyi Central in the Senate for two terms. Nobody knows whether Ucha is interested in contesting the governorship again in 2019, but his fight with Onu has continued to put a wage in the progress of APC in Ebonyi State.

Based on this irresolvable divide, we see the innovation by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for direct primary as the final arbiter and opportunity to unite Ebonyi APC under one leadership. The members of APC are tired of remaining in factions.

If members vote for the candidates through the direct primary, APC would end up fielding capable and competent flag bearers for the 2019 election. Anything short of direct primary would keep oiling the revolving door between Onu and Ucha.

Unless direct primary method is used to select APC’s candidates in Ebonyi, the factions might resort to another round of litigations. Of all the four aspirants that have purchased the governorship forms, two are from Onu’s faction; one came from Ucha’s faction, while the only youth candidate, Odoh, is neutral.

The Onu faction has been making frantic efforts for indirect primary and the mood in the state is clear that any candidate produced through indirect primary would be as good as waving good bye to the governorship.

We expect that APC members in Ebonyi State are all democrats, who should have welcomed Oshiomhole’s initiative with open hearts and arms. How can a candidate of APC be afraid to test his popularity and acceptability before party members that would end up working for his electoral success when he would ultimately contest the main election alongside the candidates of other political parties?

The popular belief in Ebonyi is that indirect primary leads to rigging, violence and impunity for which PDP was rejected by our people. The direct primary should be used as measure to know those who are disposed for corruption and those opposed to it.

Having made history by producing the first aspirant to purchase the governorship forms, Ebonyi State APC should not enter the bad books of President Buhari and the party leadership by upholding the anti-democratic methods made popular by PDP. If APC wants to win the election, let direct primary produce power to the people.