Indirect Primaries Harmful to Democracy, Leadership Warns

Strategic Insights -

The leadership of the National Assembly has criticized the indirect primaries adopted by political parties to elect candidates for the 2023 general elections, saying it is injurious to democracy and hinders mass participation. The criticism comes as the current system has led to a high turnover rate in the National Assembly, with 60 to 70 percent of serving federal lawmakers losing their bids to secure return tickets from their parties. The leadership has described the situation as a crime, particularly in the ruling APC, where only 2322 delegates elected the presidential candidate for about 90 million voters.

Key Takeaways:

  • The indirect primary system has resulted in a high turnover rate in the National Assembly, with 60 to 70 percent of serving federal lawmakers losing their bids to secure return tickets from their parties.
  • The system has led to a situation where a few delegates elect candidates for a large number of voters, undermining the principle of democracy.
  • The ruling APC's indirect primary system, where only 2322 delegates elected the presidential candidate for about 90 million voters, has been described as a crime by the leadership.
  • The National Assembly had made direct primaries mandatory for political parties, but President Buhari refused to assent to the bill, leading to the adoption of indirect and consensus options.
  • The process of allowing highest bidders to pick political parties' tickets for the various elections is worrisome, and the phenomenon of vote buying at the general elections should also be looked into by relevant authorities and stakeholders.
  • The leadership has acknowledged that Nigeria's democracy has made significant progress but continues to be threatened in many ways, including the imperfections and undemocratic nature of the indirect primary system.

Statistics:

  • 60 to 70 percent of serving federal lawmakers lost their bids to secure return tickets from their parties due to the indirect primary system.
  • Only 2322 delegates participated in the indirect primary of the APC to elect a presidential candidate for 90 million voters.
  • The National Assembly has 469 federal lawmakers, half of whom failed to secure return tickets from their parties.
  • The ruling APC and PDP have led to a situation where one or two party chieftains compile lists of delegates who are turned into millions at party Congresses or convention grounds.

Sources:

  • National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), June 12 Commemorative Democracy Day Public Lecture.
  • Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, keynote address at the public lecture.
  • Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, remarks at the public lecture.
  • Director General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, remarks at the public lecture.