Nigeria’s democratic evolution has taken a decisive turn. With the signing of the amended Electoral Act by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following its passage by the National Assembly, one of the most controversial mechanisms in the country’s political process — the delegate system — has been formally abolished. In its place now stands a more expansive and potentially transformative principle: “one member, one vote.”
For decades, Nigeria’s political parties relied heavily on indirect primaries, a system where a relatively small number of selected delegates determined who would fly the party’s flag in general elections. That system, often defended as manageable and cost-effective, became synonymous with allegations of inducement, elite manipulation, and grassroots exclusion. Delegates became power brokers; aspirants courted them aggressively; and ordinary party members watched from the sidelines as critical decisions about leadership were made without their direct input.
The new legal framework changes that dynamic fundamentally. Political parties are now limited to just two official methods for candidate selection: Direct Primaries and Consensus.
Under Direct Primaries, every registered party member has the right to vote for their preferred aspirant. No middlemen. No delegate filtration. No concentration of decision-making power in the hands of a few. It is a system that, at least in principle, democratizes internal party politics and restores agency to the rank and file.
The second option, Consensus, allows parties to adopt an internal agreement model, where aspirants voluntarily step down in favor of a single candidate. However, consensus must be genuinely voluntary. It cannot be imposed by coercion or manipulation. Where agreement fails, the party must revert to direct primaries.
This reform is not cosmetic. It is structural.
The Abolition of Delegate Politics
The delegate system had become one of the most monetized arenas of Nigerian politics. Party conventions were often less about ideology and more about negotiation. Delegates, sometimes numbering only a few hundred in nationwide contests, wielded disproportionate influence. The system created a marketplace for political ambition, where access, loyalty, and financial capacity frequently overshadowed competence, vision, and grassroots popularity.
By abolishing indirect primaries, the new Electoral Act disrupts this entrenched political economy. Aspirants can no longer focus their resources on persuading a narrow bloc of delegates. Instead, they must engage broadly with party membership across wards, local governments, and states.
In theory, this shift reduces the transactional nature of primaries and compels aspirants to build genuine political structures rather than temporary alliances of convenience.
Strengthening Internal Democracy
At its core, the “one member, one vote” principle is about inclusion. It recognizes that party members are not merely campaign foot soldiers but stakeholders with decision-making rights. Internal democracy has long been a weak link in Nigeria’s democratic architecture. While general elections receive intense scrutiny from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), party primaries have often been fraught with irregularities, parallel congresses, and post-primary litigations.
By expanding participation to all registered members, the reform aims to:
Reduce the concentration of power within party elites.
Increase transparency in candidate selection.
Encourage issue-based campaigning within parties.
Strengthen legitimacy of nominated candidates.
When candidates emerge through broad-based participation, their mandate within the party becomes stronger. They are less vulnerable to claims of imposition and more likely to command loyalty across factions.
However, laws alone do not guarantee democratic culture. Political parties must update their membership registers, ensure credible accreditation processes, and adopt transparent voting mechanisms to prevent chaos or manipulation.
Operational and Logistical Challenges
While the reform is progressive in spirit, its implementation will test Nigeria’s political infrastructure.
Direct primaries require accurate and verifiable membership registers. Many parties have historically maintained opaque or outdated membership databases. Without credible registers, disputes over who qualifies as a “registered member” could become a new battleground.
Additionally, organizing nationwide direct primaries for major parties will demand significant financial and logistical resources. Security arrangements, ballot distribution, collation systems, and monitoring mechanisms will need to be robust.
If poorly managed, direct primaries could lead to confusion, parallel exercises, or allegations of exclusion — the very problems the reform seeks to eliminate.
Consensus: A Double-Edged Sword
The retention of consensus as an option is both pragmatic and controversial.
On one hand, consensus can reduce cost and prevent divisive internal contests. It can promote unity when aspirants voluntarily align behind a broadly acceptable figure.
On the other hand, consensus can easily become a backdoor for imposition. The critical safeguard lies in ensuring that aspirants genuinely agree without coercion and that party members are not sidelined under the guise of harmony.
Political parties must resist the temptation to misuse consensus as a shortcut to elite bargaining.
Impact on Political Culture
This reform, if faithfully implemented, could reshape Nigeria’s political culture.
Aspirants will now need to invest in grassroots mobilization. Ward-level engagement will become essential. Policy articulation may gain prominence as candidates attempt to persuade a broader audience rather than a select group of delegates.
Furthermore, the influence of so-called “political godfathers” may diminish. While influence networks will not disappear overnight, the arithmetic of power has changed. Convincing a few hundred delegates is fundamentally different from persuading thousands or millions of party members.
The reform could also reduce post-primary litigations. When participation is broad and transparent, it becomes harder to sustain claims of exclusion or manipulation — though much will depend on compliance and oversight.
The Role of Institutions
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will play a critical supervisory role in ensuring that parties adhere to the new law. Monitoring direct primaries across the country will require vigilance and neutrality.
Civil society organizations and the media must also intensify scrutiny of internal party processes. Transparency must not end with legislative reform; it must be sustained through public accountability.
A Democratic Milestone — With Conditions
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the amended Electoral Act marks a significant legislative intervention in Nigeria’s democratic journey. By eliminating indirect primaries, the law confronts one of the most criticized aspects of party politics.
Yet the true success of this reform will not be measured by its wording, but by its implementation.
If political parties embrace the spirit of inclusion, update their structures, and allow genuine competition, Nigeria may witness a new era of participatory internal democracy.
If, however, old habits persist under new terminology, the promise of “one member, one vote” could be diluted by administrative manipulation or coerced consensus.
Democracy thrives not merely on elections, but on credible processes. By shifting power from delegates to members, Nigeria has taken a bold step toward deepening democratic participation. Whether that step becomes a leap forward or a missed opportunity depends on the integrity of those entrusted to implement it.
At DDM News, we believe this reform, if properly executed, has the potential to recalibrate Nigeria’s political landscape in favor of broader inclusion, transparency, and accountability. The era of delegate dominance is over. The era of member sovereignty has begun.
