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APC Governors, State Chairmen Oppose Direct Primaries Ahead of NEC

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Ahead of the primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the governors and state chairmen are opposed to direct primaries – the party’s antidote against the imposition of candidates. They prefer indirect primaries.

Key stakeholders in the party, including some leaders and members of the National Assembly, have opted for the direct primary because, in their view, it will give members a say on the choice of their representatives.

There were fears that the desire for indirect primaries by the governors was designed to give them “total” control and to determine those who will be candidates for various elective posts.

In an August 17 letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC only indicated that it might adopt an indirect or direct system for the presidential primary on September 19.

The governors and the state chairmen are said to have communicated their preference for indirect primary to National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole.

The chairman and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) have however left the final decision to the National Executive Committee (NEC), which will meet on Thursday in Abuja.

A source in the party, who spoke in confidence, said: “There is a fresh challenge in the party because the governors are opposed to direct primaries. Some of them seeking the second term in office want indirect primaries to make it easier to get the ticket.

“A few others completing the second term prefer indirect primaries to be able to impose their favourites as candidates for various elective offices.

“The governors, who have influenced state chairmen of the party, are claiming that the time is too short for direct primaries. They are also nursing fears that direct primaries could lead to crises, including violent primaries.”

It was however learnt that many senators, members of the House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly and governorship aspirants are worried that the governors have been scheming for indirect primaries “to hijack the process.”

A senator said: “The governors are out to seize the process and give tickets to their cronies. To get quality candidates for 2019 polls, we have to check these governors who want to determine those to be APC flag bearers.

“Most leaders of the party have opted for direct primaries in view of the huge success the model recorded in Osun State.

“Popular candidates were not given the opportunity to emerge in the past because the indirect primaries were turned to merchandise.

“Like the leadership of the party said, it will ensure participation of all registered members. It will be a departure of what obtained in the past, which was monetised.

“We will resist any plot by the governors to insist on indirect primaries. We learnt that they have forced the state chairmen to adopt indirect primaries.”

APC Acting National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena said: “All these issues will be tabled at the NEC meeting. Why not wait till after the meeting on Thursday?”

Oshiomhole on July 17 highlighted the benefits of direct primaries. He said: “We have decided that in order to ensure popular participation, and to deepen democracy in Osun State, in-line with the provision of our party constitution, which allows for either direct or indirect primary, we have resolved that the governorship election primary in Osun State will be conducted on the basis of direct primary.

“What that means is that every card-carrying member of our party will participate in the process of nominating the flag bearer of the party. This, for us, is the most democratic way to conduct an election and is in line with what our critical stakeholders from that part of the country want and we are quite happy to oblige.”

Oshiomhole said the direct option was to allow more party members to “participate in the process of nominating candidates and to remove issues of corruption or monetising the processes.”

He said direct primary would also “give party members a sense of ownership of the outcome of the exercise”.

BIG STORY

Nigerian-American Oye Owolewa Re-Elected To US Congress

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Oye Owolewa, a Nigerian-American Democrat, has been re-elected as the shadow representative for the District of Columbia (DC).

Owolewa, a PhD graduate from Northeastern University in Boston, made history in November 2020 when he became the first Nigerian-American elected to Congress.

He secured 164,026 votes, or 82.84 percent of the total votes cast in DC.

His role, while not officially recognized by the US government as a full member of Congress, is to advocate for the district’s interests, particularly its bid for statehood.

On Thursday, Owolewa expressed his gratitude to DC voters via a post on X, thanking them for their continued support.

“Thank you DC again for giving me chance to serve. I also want to thank the organizations that have supported, partnered with and endorsed me,” he wrote.

While shadow representatives like Owolewa do not have voting power in the US House of Representatives, they play a key role in pushing for recognition and state-level advocacy for DC residents, who are otherwise disenfranchised at the federal level.

Owolewa has consistently championed the cause of DC statehood, which has become a central focus of his work.

The re-election took place on November 5, the same day as the US presidential election.

In that election, former President Donald Trump defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris, securing over 270 electoral votes to win a second term.

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BIG STORY

Joe Biden Urges Americans To Accept Trump’s Victory, Promises Peaceful Transition

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United States President Joe Biden has urged Americans to accept the victory of Republican Party candidate Donald Trump in the presidential election.

On November 6, Trump won the presidential election after surpassing the magic number of 270 electoral college votes.

Trump defeated Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party, who received 219 electoral college votes.

Harris has congratulated Trump on his electoral victory.

During a speech on Thursday at the White House Rose Garden, Biden said, “We accept the choice the country made.”

“I know for some people, it’s time for victory to state the obvious. For others, it’s a time of loss,” the US president said.

“Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other.

“I’ve said many times, you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbour only when you agree.

“I will do my duty as president. I’ll fulfil my oath and honour the Constitution. On January 20, we will have a peaceful transfer of power here in America.

“Remember, defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dream is calling for you to get back up.

“The America experiment endures. We are going to be okay, but we need to stay engaged. We need to keep going. Above all, we need to keep the faith.”

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BIG STORY

Donald Trump Defeats Kamala Harris To Win US Presidential Election

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Republican candidate Donald Trump has won the United States presidential election, surpassing the crucial 270 electoral college votes needed for victory.

With Wisconsin now secured, Trump has reached 276 electoral college votes, clearing the threshold required to claim the White House.

Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, who currently holds 219 electoral college votes, is preparing her concession speech, which will be delivered shortly.

Trump successfully flipped several blue states to red and defeated Harris in key battleground states.

The Republican candidate is making a return to the White House after serving as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.

“This was a movement like nobody has ever seen before. We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,” Trump said just before the networks declared him the winner.

“Everyday, I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America.”

“We are going to help our country heal. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We are gonna fix our borders, we are gonna fix everything about our country. We made history for a reason tonight.”

Trump based his campaign on issues such as immigration, the economy, and border security, frequently criticizing the Democratic Party as being “weak” on these fronts.

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