Even With One Delegate Per State, Tinubu Will Win APC Primary, SWAGA Boasts

Hon. Bosun Oladele, National Secretary of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA ’23) has said the exclusion of statutory delegates from the forthcoming presidential primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will not affect the chances of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The Senate and the House of Representatives had last week passed the amendment to the Act to recognise statutory delegates which include elected councillors, local government chairmen and their deputies, party chairmen in local government areas, state and federal lawmakers (current and former), governors and their deputies, President and Vice- President, National Working Committee members, state party chairmen and secretaries as voters during primaries, congresses and conventions of all the political parties.

However, with the President’s refusal to sign the amended Act, only democratically elected delegates will be able to vote at the primaries as Section 84 (cool clearly stipulates that  “A political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidate shall clearly outline in its constitution and rules the procedure for the democratic election of delegates to vote at the convention, congress or meeting.
Speaking with DAILY INDEPENDENT, Oladele urged President Buhari to assent to the amended Act before the convention.

He said while the failure to sign the amended Act will not prevent candidates from emerging at the primaries, it will definitely reduce the number of votes expected owing to the exclusion of statutory delegates.

“It will definitely reduce the number of votes expected for the cross-section of aspirants across party lines”.

“It will not prevent the aspirants that will fly the party flags in all parties from winning and emerging. If an aspirant is popular among delegates, the popularity will not be limited to a section but generality of delegates”.

He however said even if only one person is chosen as delegate per state, Tinubu will still win the presidential primary.

“For us in SWAGA’23 if one person per state is chosen as delegates. Asiwaju Tinubu will win the ticket by God’s grace and with the people’s support”.

“However, to enable an even spread of the camaraderie and sense of belonging and that feeling of popular participation in the process, I will urge the President to accent to the amended Act before the convention”.