A member of the House of Representatives, Akinlayo Kolawole, has declared his preference for direct primaries in party nominations, arguing that the process gives power back to the people and prevents the emergence of weak candidates through consensus arrangements.
The lawmaker, who represents Ekiti North Federal Constituency II, said direct primaries remain the most credible means of selecting candidates, as they allow party members to determine their representatives without elite imposition.
“I am not afraid of direct primaries. Ultimately, the people will decide,” he said in a statement issued by his media office yesterday.
Kolawole criticised the use of consensus in party politics, noting that such arrangements are often skewed in favour of weak candidates, thereby undermining internal democracy.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker tied his confidence in direct primaries to what he described as his performance in office, revealing that he has facilitated projects worth over N1 billion across his constituency in the last three years.