The All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed the Osun state primaries to elect the party’s candidate for the forthcoming governorship election from Thursday 19th July, 2018 to Friday 20th July, 2018.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the party, Kunle Oyatomi, the party stated that the primaries was postponed due to unforseen development.
He said: “The All Progressives Congress in the state of Osun has announced the postponement of the primary to choose its gubernatorial flagbearer for September 22 election that was supposed to hold tomorrow, July 19, 2018.
“The party regretted this development but promised that sooner than later, a new date will be fixed, all party members should be at alert.”
The pronouncement, it was learnt has aggravated tension in the party, as scores of party chieftains and members who have rejected the direct system vehemently resisted the idea, threatening boycott of the process.
The plan to postpone the primary election therefore was said to have been necessitated by requisite logistics for the direct primary in the over 332 wards across the state.
One of the party stalwarts, who spoke to Daily Post said the party was seriously in dilemma on how to give legitimacy to the process without “loosing focus on the motives behind the system.”
“You know the atmosphere within the party is not too good for the polity, considering turn of events since Monday, with purported suspension of the Chairman and Secretary by some disgruntled members of the SWC.
“Definitely, the process of direct primaries as confirmed by NWC must be carefully organised to guarantee some level of openness and transparency, for the purpose of legitimacy; hence, the need to shift the primaries to accommodate all these considerations.”
