In Favour Of Direct Primaries
History has a way of repeating itself. This makes the world itself a revolving lantern and experiment at every evolutionary stage.
Political development in Nigeria has evolved over the years and in spite of its imperfection, it has remained the enduring factor at the the fabric of the nation’s evolution from colonialism, military interegnum and now civilian rule.
In 1979, few months into the military transition of the late Gen Murtala/Obasanjo regime, the Unity Party of Nigeria,UPN, headed by the late first Premier of the Western Region,Chief Obafemi Awolowo was confronted with selecting candidates for governorship election in five states of the country.
In Ogun state, while Chief Awolowo preferred the late son of his friend Chief JF Odunjo- Chief Olusoji Odunjo, from Ogun Central and a lawyer as the UPN candidate, some elements in the party kicked against the decision of a consensus and instead opted for primary via the Electoral college.
In the primaries that held, the then Egbado division part of Ogun West senatorial district of the state pited tent with Ijebu division which produced late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo as the aspirant who emerged as the candidate and consequently won the election in September 1979 to become first civilian governor of the state.
That decision never ruptured the party as it remained united. Onabanjo went ahead to implement the four cardinal programmes of the then UPN in the state.
The same scenario played out in old Oyo state where Awolowo preferred his long-time associate and friend, late Chief Emmanuel Alayande who was defeated by the younger Bola Ige, ironically his student to become the parties candidate and became Oyo state Governor.
In Kwara state,Awolowo had his way and his associate,Chief Josiah Olawoyin emerged as the UPN candidate but lost to Adamu Attah of the National Party of Nigeria,NPN in the governorship election.
In 1983, Awo allowed the younger elements in the party to have their way and in the open primaries Cornelius Adebayo, then a Senator defeated Olawoyin in the primaries held at the then Kwara Stadium and went ahead to beat Governor Adamu Attah in the Governorship election. As a result,UPN reclaimed back Kwara into the Progressives fold.
We had same scenario in Ondo State as Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin won a re-election in 1983 after the violence that greeted the result of the election which fraudulently was rigged for late Chief Akin Omoboriowo, Ajasins former Deputy who refused to accept defeat by his boss in the UPN primaries.He had earlier defected to the NPN ignoring pleadings to allow Ajasin had a second term.
Had Omoboriowo been foisted on Ondo people in the primary,the Parry and by extension the electorate would not have defended their vote and mandate which was eventually restored by the Election petition Tribunal.
This protests which greeted Omoboriowos election allegedly rigged showed the UPN was the popular choice of Ondo State electorate.
This background is pertinent in view of the recently promulgated 2026 Electoral Act signed into law last month by President Bola Tinubu after passage by the National Assembly.
The law stipulates Direct primaries or a Concensus by members of the party.
This is clearly against the Electoral College system of the past which made incumbent governors the Alpha and Omega in their parties in all elections from Governorship to National Assembly, Houses of Assembly and even local governments as they dictate who got elected to the Electoral college by the limited numbers.
In line with the resolve of the National Assembly to modify and improve on the subsisting electoral Law, it passed into law the Electoral Act 2026.
Electoral Law is part of measures to ensure free and fair elections and instill confidence in the Electoral process and in essence deepen democracy.
As against the existing law, the new Electoral Law in Part V section 84(1) stipulates that a political party seeking to nominate candidates for election under this Law shall hold primaries for aspirants to all elective positions which shall be monitored by the Independent National Electoral,INEC.
Section 2 also stipulates that the procedure for the nominations of candidates by political parties for the various positions shall be by Direct primaries or Consensus.
In section 86 the Law stipulates that: all Direct primaries shall be conducted in accordance with the guidelines of each political party.
Also in section 85 of the new law, a political party shall not impose nominations, qualifications or disqualification criteria, measures or conditions on any aspirant or candidate for any election except as prescribed under section 65,66,106,107,131,137,177 and 187 of the Constitution.
Again, under section 87 (1), a political party that adopts a Concensus shall secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the position indicating their voluntary withdrawal from the race and their endorsement of the consensus candidate.
Section 87 (2) stipulates that where a political party is unable to secure the written Consensus of all cleared aspirants for the purpose of a Consensus candidate, it shall revert to Direct primaries for the nomination of candidates for the elective position.
To cap it all Section 88(1) stipulates that all political appointees at all level shall not be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention,congress and primaries of a political Party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.
In line with the above, it is apparent that if faithfully implemented by all the political parties, the system will achieve at least five objectives for our political evolution.
First, in an era where there is absence of ideology in all our emergent political parties, it will give party members opportunity to participate in the process of electing those who will fly the flag of the party contrary to the Electoral college system riddled with fraudulent Practises by Governors who have the party under their whims and caprice.
Secondly, Direct primaries will reduce to the barest minimum money politics as it will involve the participation of all members in the constituency of all contestants.
Thirdly, Direct primaries will promote competency as the party members will scrutinise their aspirants credentials, competency for the job.
Fourthly, Direct primaries will promote stronger party as it will encourage members to be interested in who emerges as their candidate and give them a sense of belonging.
It will give parties ability to control the activities of elected public officials who will eventually return to their constituency and party to give account of their stewardship rather than relying on godfathers who pick them.
In order words, Direct primaries will reduce influence of godfatherism.
Political parties would have the opportunity to check activities of their elective public office holders as obtained during the Second republic when the party was stronger contrary to today when money bags and godfathers determine the direction of parties and their elected Representatives.
Above all, Direct primaries and Concensus will pave the way for Good governance as elected public officials have to render account to their constituencies.
This new law in essence is an opportunity to the educated and apolitical to show interest in who emerges as the candidate for their constituencies from local government; state house of assembly; Governors; National Assembly and above all Presidency.
The new law though not perfect as not all political systems are perfect but will be an improvement in what obtains where Governors and other elected public officials ride roughshod on their immediate constituency.
