Governor Samuel Ortom de Benue called on President Muhammadu Buhari to reject the direct primary elections adopted by the National Assembly in the Election Law Amendment Bill for the Selection of Party Candidates.
Mr Ortom, who made the roll call when he interacted with reporters in Abuja on Tuesday, said the direct primaries were not in the country’s best interest.
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, lacked the staff required to monitor the conduct of direct primaries by political parties.
“The electoral law should allow political parties to adopt any process that suits them in the conduct of their primaries.
“Passing direct party primaries will only give governors more power to do whatever they want,” Ortom said.
He said political parties lack the financial capacity to hold direct primaries.
The National Assembly recently adopted the bill amending the electoral law, adopting direct primary elections for political parties in the choice of their flag bearers in the elections.
