CITIZENS COMPASS— Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibadan, Oyo State, have rejected any attempt by party leaders to impose a governorship candidate on them.
The party members who on Thursday staged a peaceful protest kicked against consensus candidates in the state.
The protesters threw their weight behind direct primaries rather than consensus candidates.
They staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan, bearing placards with inscriptions condemning alleged plans by some party stakeholders to handpick a candidate without allowing party members to participate in the selection process.
They warned that any attempt to impose a candidate could worsen internal divisions within the APC in the state and threaten the party’s chances in future elections.
Speaking during the protest, some of the members accused certain party leaders of sidelining grassroots members and trying to manipulate the process in favour of preferred aspirants.
According to them, direct primaries remain the most credible method for selecting the party’s governorship candidate because it allows all registered members to vote.
The protesters also urged the national leadership of the APC to intervene and ensure that the governorship ticket is not determined through what they called “backdoor arrangements.”
They maintained that the party could only regain the confidence of members and supporters in Oyo State if the primary process is open, transparent and free from manipulation.
