2019: Uncertainty in APC as party settles for direct primary for presidential candidate, indirect mode for other positions

macfranc007 August 31, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Buchi Obichie

The main headlines for mainstream newspapers today, Friday, August 31, are focused on the APC’s decision to adopt both direct and indirect primaries for candidates for the 2019 elections; and the consequence of the CBN’s $8.1bn sanction on MTN.

To kick things off, Punch is reporting that the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has adopted the direct primary method for the selection of its presidential candidate.

The NEC took this position as part of its resolutions, following its Thursday, August 30 meeting in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The committee also agreed that states should adopt the mode of primary that best suits their peculiarities from among the methods specified in the party’s constitution.

It however stated that states which choose to adopt the direct primary method should notify the national secretariat in writing, before doing so.

2019: APC finally settles on both direct, indirect primary for candidates (Newspaper Review)

Front page of Punch, Friday, August 31 (Photo credit: NAIJ.com)
Source: Depositphotos

Still on the resolutions from the APC’s NEC, Vanguard is reporting that the ruling party has opted for a combination of both the direct and indirect primary election as the mode of choosing its candidates for the 2019 general elections

The publication points out that while the party adopted the direct primary system for choosing its presidential candidate, it has decided that states would be free to use direct or indirect primaries for other positions.

The NEC’s decision was made know to newsmen by the governor of Plateau state, Simon Lalong.

Noticeably absent at the NEC meeting, however, was speaker of the House of Assembly, Yakubu Dogara, who is also a member of the committee.

Front page of Vanguard, Friday, August 31 (Photo credit: NAIJ.com)
Source: Depositphotos

The Nation is also towing the path of the two previous publications, with its focus also on the resolutions of the APC’s National Executive Committee.

The paper reports that the party will pick its presidential candidate through direct primary at a date to be announced later.

According to the NEC, candidates for other positions – governors, national and state assemblies – are to be picked through indirect primary or delegates system.

In a direct primary, all bona fide party members would be able to pick the eventual candidate.

Front page of The Nation, Friday, August 31 (Photo credit: NAIJ.com)
Source: Depositphotos

Moving on to a different matter, The Guardian is reporting that just one day after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ordered telecoms firm, MTN, to repatriate $8.1 billion alleged to have been sent abroad illegally, the shares of the company dropped as much as 23 percent to a nine-year low, on Thursday, August 30.

Quoting the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the publication reports that at trading on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, MTN shares were down 21.4 percent at 84.35 rand, after touching 83 rand, a level last seen in 2009.

The CBN’s demand is the latest setback for MTN Nigeria, the South African group’s most lucrative, but increasingly most problematic market.

The development comes two years after MTN agreed to pay a fine of more than $1 billion for allowing the use of millions of improperly unregistered SIM cards on its network.

MTN is Africa’s biggest telecommunications company.

Front page of The Guardian, Friday, August 31 (Photo credit: NAIJ.com)
Source: Depositphotos

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Rounding things off, This Day is also reporting that shares of the MTN Group took a 25 percent fall to a nine-year low of 86.50 rand on Thursday.

The publication also reports that the crash comes one day after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) imposed a hefty $8.1 billion fine on the group’s Nigeria’s subsidiary, MTN Nigeria, for forex infractions.

During the day, the company’s shares, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, fell by as low as 31 percent, before recovering to its closing price.

The telecoms subsidiary has however denied the indictment by the CBN that it collaborated with Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, Citibank, Stanbic IBTC and Diamond Bank Plc to illegally repatriate $8.134 billion between 2007 and 2015 from the country.