…Acrimonious primaries breed crisis in parties
…Individual ambitions override parties’ interest
…Skepticism grows over possible free, fair, credible polls
Barely eight months to the 2027 general election, concern is mounting over what political observers and stakeholders describe as a deeply flawed and crisis-ridden political process that could undermine the credibility of the polls.
Across party lines, disputes from acrimonious primaries, allegations of imposition, vote manipulation, money politics, factional control and rising defections have intensified fears that Nigeria may be heading into one of its most contentious elections since 1999.
So far, major political parties that have produced presidential candidates are the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and African Action Congress (AAC). The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has also formally ratified former Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as its flag bearer, being the party’s sole aspirant.
Rather than consolidating internal democracy, the primaries have further exposed deep divisions, with parallel conventions, disputed delegate lists and competing leadership claims defining the political landscape.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has emerged as one of the most visible flashpoints of the crisis. A faction of the party produced Dumebi Kachikwu as its consensus presidential candidate at a convention in Abuja attended by delegates from across the country, while also “dissolving” the David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola leadership and inaugurating a new National Working Committee (NWC).
Read also: Southern 2027 presidency bid under threat as Tinubu, Obi, 7 others emerge from primaries
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