Nomination Of Candidates For Elective Position By Party Leaders, Undemocratic .... Declares Onuesoke

"If Nigerians must grow from the wood, the choice of a party candidate must follow the due process of primaries right from the unit level to the state, as against leaders and elders choice"..... Onuesoke.

The insistence of party leaders to select or nominate persons as candidates for electioneering positions, has been described as undemocratic. 

This was the assertion of Chief Sunny Onuesoke, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, a former gubernatorial aspirant in Delta State.

Onuesoke stated this while reacting to questions from newsmen at the Asaba International Airport, Asaba, Delta State on his take on party leaders picking candidates for elective position.

According to the PDP Chieftain, he reiterated that he has consistently disagreed with the theory that political party executives should determine the character acceptability of a prospective electioneering candidate of a political party, as against the choice of the majority of members of the party.

He added that; "if Nigerians must grow from the wood, the choice of a party candidate must follow the due process of primaries right from the unit level to the state, as against leaders and elders choice".

"I stand to disagree with the theory that political party executives should determine the character acceptability of a prospective electioneering candidates of a political party as against the choice of the majority of  party members".

"If we must grow from the woods, the choice of a party candidate must follow due process of conducting primaries  right from unit to the state as against leaders and elders nominating candidates. Character and altitude they say, is like a perfume".

The former Delta State Governorship  aspirant argued that Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, that deals with the general framework for the intra-party nomination process provides that a political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under the Act shall hold primaries for aspirants "by direct or indirect" primaries.  

"It further stipulates that a political party that adopts the direct primaries “shall ensure that all aspirants are given equal opportunity of being voted for by members of the party". Any action that did not follow the aforementioned Electoral is undemocratic and could be term as illegal".

Onuesoke maintained that he is afraid that any party that goes against the stipulated rule might incur the wrath of INEC and such selected candidate by the party leaders or Executive  might be disqualified if the issue is brought to the notice of the election tribunal.

To be on a safer side, Onuesoke advised that party leaders should jettison the idea of selecting candidates for electioneering position and stick to the guidelines  of  Electoral Act.