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One of the criticisms against the 2026 Electoral Act is the imposition of two modes of primaries: Direct primaries or consensus, on all political parties. By so doing the Act eliminates indirect primaries, which used to be the dominant mode of primaries by most political parties. Another criticism of the Electoral Act is its interference in the internal democracy of political parties by dictating to them the modes of primaries they must abide with. Limiting the parties to direct primaries or consensus is undemocratic and we have seen that in the crisis that trailed the recent primaries of political parties, especially the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and others.
The complaints trailing the party primaries have amply demonstrated that the direct primaries and the consensus option are just ploys for imposition of candidates. Those selected are never products of election by party members. In most states, there was no actual voting. Even in some states that used Option A4, the counting of lined up voters was just abracadabra. It is like the more you look, the less you see. Complaints from Lagos, Delta, Bauchi and Rivers states, just to mention a few, are enough to buttress that the party primaries were not democratic at all. In some of these states, the elders and in most cases the governors just hand-picked the candidates that will represent the parties in the polls.
There are no signs that the party primaries of the remaining few main political parties will be different from what transpired so far in APC, PDP and ADC. Political parties would have done well if the extant Electoral Act allows the indirect primaries, which is representative in nature. The polity will expect more resignations and defections in the days ahead. Those rejected in the party primaries will find another party to realize their dreams. The APC should watch it. Other parties should watch it as well.
What we have seen so far as party primaries are mere coronation exercises. They were used to select anointed candidates of political parties. Those left behind are lamenting all over the country and will take revenge on the parties that left them stranded midway. With this kind of politics, our politicians have really learnt nothing and forgotten nothing. In our 27 years of unbroken democracy, our politicians should go to school to learn and relearn the tenets and praxis of democracy.
Since we borrowed our presidential system of government from the United States, they should go to America to study how the system works. If going to America will be cumbersome and costly, they can have a crash programme at the US Embassy in Lagos or Abuja on how American democracy works. On the other hand, they can have online programme on how to make presidential system of government work from either Harvard or Yale University.
It is sad that we borrowed the presidential system of government from America without having its tenets and internalizing its workings. One intractable problem that no government has solved since 2009 is the rising insecurity across the country, which has led to mass killings of Nigerians and destroying of livelihoods. Its worrisome dimension is the abduction of school children and teachers for ransom. The latest is the abduction of students and teachers in schools in Oyo and Borno states. Unfortunately, the Oyo State abduction led to the killing of a Mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, by beheading. More abductions have occurred in Oyo and other places raising serious security concerns across the country.
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It was not a surprise that the Oyo and Borno incidents dominated discussions during the 2026 celebration of Nigerian Children’s Day marked across the country on May 27. Many Nigerians used the occasion to call for more protection and secure learning environment for Nigerian children. Curiously, Nigerian children, the future of tomorrow, have become targets of kidnapping and mindless abductions by terrorists, kidnappers and bandits. Our value system has been turned upside down. Nigerians have become more materialistic than ever before.
Good enough, President Bola Tinubu has vowed to rescue the abducted school children and teachers still in captivity of the bandits. The government should be fast in rescuing all of them so that their case may not become another Chibokgirls’ episode or Dapchi students’ saga and others yet unresolved.
All those seeking to lead the country must have ready answers on how they will tackle the growing insecurity across the country and revamp the economy. If they can solve the two challenges, they can equally do the rest. Having the ambition to rule the country is one thing, the most important task is how that ambition can translate to solving the nation’s challenges. Our leaders since 1999 have all failed the test. We hope that 2027 will be a different ball game. We need both leaders and problem-solvers. We need leaders who will fix the power sector and other sectors worth fixing.
The 2027 presidential race is going to be crowded. We know the contenders and pretenders. So far, President Bola Tinubu remains the APC standard bearer come rain, come shine. Atiku Abubakar has won the ADC primaries even though his co-aspirants are protesting. Peter Obi will naturally emerge as the NDC standard bearer. For the factionalized PDP, the picture is very blurred. Nobody is so sure if former President Goodluck Jonathan will be the presidential candidate of a faction of the PDP or not. Until Jonathan says yes, it is still a mere guess work. I don’t really know why Jonathan is keeping mute on the matter. His silence is no longer golden. He should please say something and say it quickly. He should say it when it mattered most. His silence is deafening.
For the fragmented opposition, the journey to 2027 election is seemingly wobbling. The road is too bumpy for comfort. The flight now is even more turbulent. To make matters worse, the opposition house is divided and even scattered. It is not even different from the 2023 missteps. Nevertheless, going into the 2027 general election as a divided house is not the best for the opposition.
