Consensus, direct or indirect primaries - Wetin be di fate of party delegates for Nigerian politics?

About one week ago, Nigeria President Bola sign di new 2026 electoral law wey dem amend.

Di president sign di law wey contain di guidelines for how dem go do federal, state, and local govment elections for di Federal Capital Territory.

As e dey sign di bill, Tinubu tok say, "No politics dey inside di amendments as na matter of structure. Na effort to fill gaps, make system strong, and create clean road for pipo wey dey plan and conduct elections."

President Tinubu sign di bill afta confusion wey happun for National Assembly chambers and di protests wey civil society groups do becos of di changes dem make for di law.

One of di biggest amendments for di electoral law na di process wey political parties must follow to choose pipo wey go contest different positions wey pipo dey call primary elections.

'Delegates no go dey again'

Bifor-bifor, political parties dey use some special representatives wey dem dey call "delegates." Dem dey choose dis delegates for different levels from polling unit and ward level reach national level.

Delegates don get big name for di past, especially during primary elections.

Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge from Bayero University, Kano, tok say for di 2026 amended electoral law, govment don cancel dis delegate system.

According to am, di delegate system "na one of di tins wey spoil di process of choosing candidates and even Nigeria elections as a whole."

He tok say "Bicos dis delegates, wen dem go primary election, na pure business dem dey do. Dem dey collect money from every candidate, and even if dem no vote for am, dem no dey return im money."

Di lecturer tok say na one of the reasons why di new 2026 electoral law remove di delegate system.

"Now, di new law don provide two methods for political parties to take do primaries choose candidates," e tok.

Di two methods wey di law approve for primaries na consensus and direct or indirect primaries.

Wetin be Consensus?

Consensus na wen evribodi wey wan contest for di same position inside one party go sit down togeda and agree among demsefs make dem step down for one person, as di lecturer explain.

For dis kind meeting, di aspirants and party leaders go gather, make agreements, and try reach one decision.

Before, some parties dey use dis same method take choose dia candidates.

Di new electoral law tok say if dis method no work, dem must use di second method wey be direct or indirect primaries.

Wetin be direct or indirect primaries?

Professor Kamilu Fagge tok say wetin dis one mean be say registered party members go come out vote for who dem want make represent the party for election.

"And dem dey do dis election for different levels from ward level, go local govment, den state, and finally federal level," e tok.

Di professor still add say dis system get two ways wey dem fit use do am.

"Di first one be say party members go line up behind the aspirant wey dem support, den dem go count dem to know who win. Or dem fit do am secretly put ballot box, allow party members cast dia vote, and when dem finish, dem go count am," Professor Fagge explain

Wia location of di election go take place?

Befor parties dey do primary elections for big party conventions.

So even now, na for these big conventions dem go still choose dia candidates, as Professor Kamilu Fagge explain.

E tok say, "Na step-by-step process from ward level, den local govment, den state level."

But di political expert come add say when e reach choosing candidate for govnor or president, dem go do di primaries for different places across local govments and states, but all of dem on di same day.

"If na for govnors, bicos party members plenty, dem go do di primaries for evri local govment. For presidential primaries, dem go do am for every state," e tok.

He add say after evritin finish, dem go gather all di results and send them go state or federal level, wia dem go join am for one place to announce who win.

'Di new amendment also get wahala'

Di reason why dem amend di law na to solve di wahala wey dey always happun during primary elections. Wahala wey sometimes dey end for court, or even make party lose seat wey dem don already win for general election.

Example for 2019, APC lose govnor seat and Senate plus House of Representatives seats for Zamfara State afta dem don win election, bicos of problems wey relate to dia primaries.

But Professor Kamilu Fagge tok say dis new method still get im own wahala.

"Sometimes, candidates dey collect party membership cards from members by paying dem money. Dem go even call pipo wey no be party members, give them money and give dem those cards make dem vote for dem."

E add say candidates dey sometimes cause wahala during counting of supporters wey stand behind dem for primaries.

"For example, if one candidate get 200 supporters wey dem don count and write down, and e see say im opponent supporters plenty pass im own, once counting start maybe dem don reach 100 or 50, e fit tell im supporters make dem start trouble. Once counting stop, later dem fit claim say the one wey get 200 supporters win already since dem don finish im own counting," na so e tok.