Governors not afraid of direct primaries – Yahaya Bello

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has said that governors are not afraid of direct primaries, amid speculations that some governors have determined the political fate of federal lawmakers from their states.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Bello dismissed claims that some governors dole our tickets to members of the National Assembly.

“We as governors, I don’t think anybody is afraid of direct primaries. No governor, not APC, PDP, or APGA – At least these are the parties that we have today,” Governor Bello said.

“I will always caution that whenever we are making laws or taking decisions, we shouldn’t be basing it on the impulse of the moment.”

When asked if he determines who goes to the National Assembly from Kogi State, Bello didn’t categorically affirm or negate the question.

Rather, he said his party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) is responsible for that, noting that he provides the lead as Kogi APC leader.

Of the 21 states controlled by the APC, the governor explained that about six governors have problems with their senators.

Bello’s remarks come a day after the Senate approved the conference committee report on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The approval was a sequel to the presentation and consideration of the report by the Senate Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya, on Tuesday.

The Senate and House of Representatives had passed different versions of the bill in July and some provisions of the legislation had generated controversies.

One of such was clause 62 which deals with the use of modern technology in voting and transmission of results.

The Senate initially empowered the Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Assembly to determine the use of electronic transmission of results in an election while the House allowed electoral umpire, INEC, to transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.