Direct primary, best for Nigerian democracy

Mr John Okoli-Akirika, a legal practitioner based in Awka, Anambra said that direct primary method of electing aspirants remained the best for Nigerian democracy, compared to indirect method.

Okoli-Akirika said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Awka.

He said that direct primary election ensured citizens’ vote had equal weight and aligned with democratic principles which helped electorate to choose candidates of their choice.

According to him, such method of election also encouraged more people to play active role in politics.

He said that on the contrary, indirect method empowered special group of voters called delegates to make the choice for everybody else, thus making system of voting less democratic.

The legal practitioner argued that said indirect method did not give people direct opportunity to elect their representatives based on merit, adding that “it encourages vote buying where the highest bidder takes it. “

He called for equal participation of party members during primaries to enable them exercise their franchise to elect representatives of their choice.