APGA Chairman Calls for Reintroduction of Indirect Primaries

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sylvester Ezeokenwa, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reintroduce the indirect mode of party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ezeokenwa made the call on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the electoral framework and challenges facing political parties.

He noted that while INEC successfully conducted elections during the COVID-19 pandemic, political parties face significant logistical challenges in organizing direct primaries, particularly for large-scale nominations such as the presidential candidate.

“It’s not as if you’re going to have an indirect mode of electing a candidate at an election. And so for the fact that INEC can actually conduct an election during the COVID-19 era, political parties can equally conduct direct primaries,” he said.

However, Ezeokenwa pointed out that IPAC (Inter-Party Advisory Committee) believes the current law on direct primaries could disadvantage smaller parties lacking the resources to organize nationwide direct primaries across over 8,800 wards.

“For me, with the logistics associated with the conduct of direct primaries, that’s the major challenge, and that is the major reason IPAC is calling on the National Assembly to reintroduce the indirect mode of primaries,” he explained.