Nigeria abolishes delegate system in Party primaries

By Ezekiel Marshal

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed a new Electoral Act into law, officially terminating the use of indirect, delegate-based primaries for selecting political candidates.

This legislative overhaul, recently passed by the National Assembly, effectively strips power from the select groups of delegates who previously held sway over party nominations.

Under the provisions of the updated Act, political parties are now restricted to only two legal pathways for candidate selection, Direct Primaries and Consensus.

The direct primary model grants every registered party member the right to vote personally for their preferred candidate a method often referred to as kato bayan kato or person-to-person voting.

Alternatively, parties may opt for a consensus approach, provided that the organization and all aspirants reach a formal internal agreement on a single representative.

This transition marks a significant departure from long-standing tradition, ensuring that voting power is distributed equally among the party grassroots rather than being concentrated in the hands of a few.

In view of this, major political organizations, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), must immediately begin restructuring their internal processes to align with these mandates ahead of future polls.

Political analysts suggest that while this reform aims to broaden internal participation and curb the historical manipulation of delegate lists, it introduces new complexities.

The shift to a larger voting population is expected to drive up campaign costs and fundamentally alter power dynamics, as aspirants must now appeal to thousands of members rather than a small circle of influential figures.

As the 2027 general elections approach, this legislative change stands as a pivotal development that will redefine how leaders emerge in the Nigerian political space.