2023: Ongoing Primary Elections, Complete Mess, Failed Process, Ex-President Jonathan
Former president Goodluck Jonathan has described the ongoing primary elections across the country as a mess.
There are widespread reports that aspirants and delegates in most parts of the country have monetized the process. Already about six governors who are not due for reelection having served two terms have secured tickets for the Senate.
The sudden plunge of the Naira to 600 in exchange for the US dollars has been attributed to politicians mopping up dollars to influence delegates in the upcoming presidential primaries of both the All Progressives Party, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Some aspirants who lost the elections have demanded a refund from delegates who were given sums ranging from millions of nairs in a bid to secure tickets for various positions in the upcoming 2023 elections.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja during a book launch titled "Political Party Governance" authored by Dr Mohammed Wakil, a former Minister of State, former president Jonathan said the process has failed.
According to him, it would not be good to elect a president or governor using the same process.
Jonathan said "These whole party primaries going on across the country is a mess. This is not a standard practice. The process has failed.
"We cannot use the process to elect president, governors, senators and House of Representatives members and others.
"The process has already failed, which is not good for the country. But we will manage and move on.
"We pray that good people should come. I hope that what happened this year, 2022 will not happen again in this country."
Also, former Kaduna lawmaker and governorship aspirant, Shehu Sani, has lamented the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Primaries in Kaduna State.
Mr Sani, a governorship aspirant, lost his bid to represent the party at next year’s election after securing only two votes.
He alleged that the voting process was marred by bribery and corruption with delegates collecting money to vote for unqualified candidates
“There is no difference between bandits who collect ransom and delegates who collect money to vote, he said in a statement.
Mr Sani had vowed not to bribe delegates to vote for him.
”No one should pay any delegate on my behalf,” he said.
“I don’t believe in the political ritual of paying to be elected. That is inconsistent with my ideological and moral beliefs, Mr Sani said before the election on Wednesday.
A former member of the House of representatives, Isah Ashiru, clinched the PDP governorship ticket in Kaduna.
Mr Ashiru defeated four other aspirants including a former head of National Emergency Management Agency, Sani Sidi, a former governor of the state Ramalan Yero, and Mr Sani, among others.
Responding to questions about the outcome of the election, on Thursday, Mr Sani said he was proud he did not bribe anyone to vote for him.
“I was not unaware of the decadence in our political system and processes that we have helplessly and unconscionably accepted and embraced.
“My participation is to expose the system and open it for a honest conversation as a way of rescuing our political system from institutionalised corruption, that has made it impossible for credible people to participate in politics and for men and women of honour to emerge as leaders.
“Literally, have not lost the primaries, I’ve lost a political bidding process and an auction. We can’t continue to recruit, select or elect our leaders through a dishonourable delegate system that thrust politicians to power weighing on the amount of money they pay to a select few.
“We don’t compromise our principles for our politics.The seed of our political system is deeply corrupted. Delegate system ensures and guarantees the accession of criminals to the throne of power.
“The two clean votes I got without paying out of hundreds, tells much about the impropriety of politics of our country than about myself.
“If we don’t courageously and consciously revolt against cash and carry politics, it’s impossible to sanitise our country and impossible for the younger generation to aspire for the position of leadership.
“There is no difference between bandits who collect ransom and delegates who collects money to vote. It’s a contradiction for any society to object to ransom payment and accept paying for votes,” he said.
Source: Daily Post and Premium Times