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By Lawrence Agbo
Former member of the House of Representatives, Dakuku Peterside, has cautioned against the growing use of consensus politics in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, warning that the practice often places political power in the hands of a small group of influential elites.
Peterside, who spoke on ARISE News while commenting on the ongoing primaries process, argued that consensus arrangements in Nigerian politics frequently undermine internal democracy and reduce the ability of ordinary party members to influence candidate selection.
According to him, the trend being witnessed in the current primaries began with the screening and clearance process for aspirants seeking elective positions.
“In our specific case, what we are observing in the primaries begins with the clearance of candidates to contest elections,” he said.
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He noted that while many sitting members of the National Assembly were cleared to seek re-election, there had also been a relatively high number of disqualifications involving other aspirants.
Peterside expressed concern that some aspirants were reportedly disqualified over what he described as minor infractions, including issues related to the registration status of sponsors or whether they were fee-paying members of the party.
The former lawmaker warned that such developments could weaken confidence in the credibility and fairness of the primaries process if not properly addressed.
He maintained that consensus politics should not become a tool for excluding candidates or concentrating decision-making power among a few influential political actors at the expense of wider party participation.
