Coronation primaries and fragmented opposition

The 2026 Electoral Act has faced significant criticism for mandating that all political parties utilize either direct primaries or consensus as their modes of selecting candidates, effectively eliminating the previously prevalent indirect primaries. Critics argue that this regulation undermines the internal democracy of political parties by restricting their ability to choose their preferred methods of candidate selection. The recent primaries conducted by major parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have been marred by disputes, highlighting the challenges and fragmentation within the opposition as a result of these new requirements.

Read More