The two factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State have sharply disagreed on the mode of primaries to be adopted for the 2019 polls in the state.

While the mainstream APC leadership has welcomed the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to approve the adoption of Indirect Primaries for the state, factional leader and governorship aspirant, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has said that the decision cannot override the earlier decision of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

“This decision is in line with the resolution of the expanded State Executive Committee (SEC) taken at its meeting of Thursday, September 6, 2018 as directed by the NEC of our party. In the said meeting, the direct, indirect and consensus options were critically examined and the majority of members overwhelmingly voted to adopt the indirect mode of primaries,” Rivers APC Spokesman Chris Finebone said in a statement circulated to journalists on Tuesday.

He noted that “it is satisfying that all the reasons adduced for adopting the indirect mode of primaries were found to be convincing, well-thought out and altruistic hence the acceptance of the option for Rivers State by the NWC.”

“It is important,” Finebone said, “to emphasise that the eventual approval of the indirect option does not suggest that at the end of the argument there is a victor and a vanquished. Instead, it is our great party, and not any individual, that carried the day. Only one option will always be adopted at a given time. The party would like to remind all members that whereas everyone has his or her preference or opinion on any given matter, final considerations will always be made in the interest of the greater majority of party members especially when the preservation of the common good is at stake. Such a time is now!”

The party called on all delegates and members to work tirelessly towards the holding of successful and hitch free primaries accordingly.

Abe, however, stated that the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, had during the party’s last NEC meeting listed Rivers as one of the state where direct primaries would be held to elect candidates of the party for the 2019 general elections.

Abe, who spoke in an interview in Port Harcourt while reacting to the decision of NWC of the party to adopt indirect primaries for Rivers State, said the NEC decided to adopt direct primaries in Rivers State because of the many legal issues facing the party in the state.

The frontline governorship aspirant urged his supporters to remain focused in the clamour to have direct primaries in the state, saying they will present their facts before the NWC in order to ensure that the right thing is done in the state.

Abe, who is the senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly said: “I have been informed of the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hold indirect primaries in Rivers State. This decision goes against the grain of reason.

“First of all, direct primaries were ordered in other states including Imo State that has similar issues such as we have in Rivers State. Secondly, the National Chairman of the party at the last National Executive Committee Meeting of the party, had himself listed Rivers State as one of the states where direct primaries would be held in the country because of many legal issues that we are currently facing in the state.

“Therefore, in the light of that, I will urge all our supporters to remain focused and continue to work towards the direct primaries that will hold in our state. The decision of the National Working Committee cannot override that of the National Executive Committee of the party, nor the realities on ground in Rivers State.

“So, we should continue to mobilise and keep up our efforts to ensure that party members are given an opportunity to express their preference.

“We will bring the facts clearly before the National Working Committee and we are very confident that the right thing will be done in Rivers State.”