Why Senator shunned APC Senate mock primary election

dimeji akinloye

June 7, 2015 12:20 PM

Saraki is in the race to becoming the eighth Assembly Senate President.

Senator Bukola Saraki, who boycotted the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) mock primary organised to elect a Senate President, has given reasons to his action.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Saraki said the party adopted a voting pattern that is “undemocratic and against universal electoral norms and practice.”

Similarly, in a statement signed by senator-elect Dino Melaye and senator-elect Ahmed Rufai Sani, on behalf of ‘senators-elect of Like Minds’ reads:

“We the senators-Elect of Like Minds today 6TH of June 2015, on the invitation of our party, attended an interactive meeting with selected 5 members from each group, the Unity Forum and the Like Minds Group.

“Regrettably, the Unity Forum insisted on open ballot voting which we discovered is different from the electoral process used to conduct the earlier election with the House of Representatives members elect. To us, this open ballot voting is primitive; undemocratic and against universal electoral norms and practice.

“In the light of the above, we the Senators elect of Like Minds hereby insist on our position of Open Secret voting process which we believe is in consonance with the provisions of the electoral act, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the universal electoral values.

“As responsible citizens of Federal Republic of Nigeria, and leaders in our own right, we have resolved and hereby state that we shall not be part of a process that promotes undemocratic electoral process that may resort to rancorous and uncivil situations which inhibits the rights of individuals to vote for the candidate of their choice, as this process will further divide us than unite members of our party.

“In conclusion we the Senators-Elect of Like Minds wish to state categorically that we will participate only in the constitutional election scheduled for Tuesday, the 9th of June 2015 in line with the rules of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We by this press release invite the media to a joint press conference by the 65 Senators-Elect of Like Minds drawn from across party lines on Monday morning, the 8th of June 2015"

dimeji akinloye