An enlarged Tripartite Committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve differences within the All Progressives Congress, APC has disagreed on the use of direct primaries by political parties to select their candidates.
At the end of an enlarged meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Tuesday, the Committee which consists of the Executive, Legislature and the APC, failed to convince members of the National Assembly on the need to provide an alternative for the direct primary option.
The meeting comes hours after passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the National Assembly which has approved direct primaries as sole mode of primaries upon which political parties will pick candidates for general elections.
Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello said that the governors do not have a problem with the provision but argued that it leaves the party with no alternative.
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Members of the National Assembly led by the Senate President Ahmad Lawan and House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila at the meeting insisted that direct primary remains the way to go because it has been working for the electorate.
Governor Bello asserted that the final decision on the matter rests with President Buhari who is expected to give assent to the bill.
Reporter: Yemi Adebayo Editor: Terverr Tyav
