Nigerian Party Primaries Signal End of Democratic Politics

The recent season of party primaries in Nigeria has starkly exposed a departure from democratic principles and ethical political conduct, according to commentator Jibrin Ibrahim. The process, particularly the concept of "consensus," has devolved into mere imposition, where the ultimate authority within a party dictates the chosen candidate.

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The lessons from the party primaries season is that democracy and ethical political behaviour have been deleted from the Nigerian political system.

While the Electoral Act allows for direct primaries where all party members can vote, the reality on the ground is vastly different. Ibrahim argues that no political party possesses the logistical capacity to organize elections across all 8,809 wards nationwide. Consequently, direct primaries often become a charade, with party leaders fabricating results through a process known as "results by declaration." This method efficiently ensures the "boss's" decision is upheld, creating a facade of democratic participation.

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Consensus in Nigerian political language means imposition. The boss decides who the consensus is.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries serve as a prime example. President Tinubu was declared the winner with an announced 10,999,967 votes at a convention center named in his honor. The process was nominally challenged by Stanley Osifo from Edo State, who was allocated 16,504 votes, reportedly after being "handsomely rewarded" for his role in the staged contest. The announcement occurred without any visible voting process, raising questions about the legitimacy of the outcome.

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Direct primaries in law means all party members have the right to vote for the candidate. The reality is that no political party in the country has the capacity to organise these elections in all the 8,809 wards in the country.

Furthermore, the primaries resulted in many prospective candidates who had defected to the APC with promises of tickets being deceived and ultimately excluded. The new Electoral Act now prevents them from seeking nominations from other parties, a common tactic in past elections. This shift signifies that joining the ruling party is no longer a guaranteed path to candidacy, leaving many APC members, including those in the National Assembly, without return tickets.

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Direct voting in primaries therefore mean that party leaders simply write numbers for candidates as they please. In Nigeria, this process is called results by declaration.