Political Parties' Undemocratic Primary Elections Under Fire

Nigeria's major political parties face severe criticism for undemocratic primary elections, raising questions about their moral authority to oversee general elections. The All Progressives Congress (APC), People's Democratic Party (PDP), and others have been accused of widespread malpractices, including candidate imposition and disenfranchisement. Videos circulating on social media show party officials mockingly counting voters in a non-sequential manner, highlighting a disregard for democratic processes.

Field reports indicate that in many instances, actual elections did not occur, with votes allegedly allocated based on the preferences of party leaders or state governments. In Bauchi State, APC governorship aspirant Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar expressed shock at the party's alleged decision to anoint a candidate, stating, "We wanted an election where whoever won would emerge, and whoever lost would accept the outcome. But the National Chairman of our party called us, and announced that MA Abubakar had been selected as the governorship candidate."

Further compounding the issue, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, withdrew from the APC governorship primary in Gombe State. He cited alleged violations of the Electoral Act 2026 and the absence of actual elections during the National Assembly primaries, stating that candidates were imposed. These events underscore a systemic challenge within Nigerian political parties, where internal democratic practices appear to be severely compromised, casting a shadow over the credibility of the broader electoral system.

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We wanted an election where whoever won would emerge, and whoever lost would accept the outcome. But the National Chairman of our party called us, and announced that MA Abubakar had been selected as the governorship candidate.