A wave of anger and disbelief has trailed the outcome of recent party primaries across Nigeria, with critics describing the exercises as deeply flawed processes that have produced candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections under questionable circumstances.
The controversy has revived the legal principle of the “fruit of the poisonous tree,” which holds that evidence obtained through an illegal or tainted process is invalid. Observers now argue that the same logic applies to party primaries allegedly marred by manipulation, inflated figures, and outright irregularities.
Across states including Ebonyi, Gombe, Delta, Abia, Yobe, and Lagos, reports emerged of disputed delegate lists, questionable vote counts, and what critics describe as “mathematical inconsistencies” that cast doubt on the credibility of the exercises.
One of the most widely circulated incidents came from an All Progressives Congress (APC) primary in Ebonyi State, where a video showed an electoral official reportedly counting votes in a confusing sequence that jumped irregularly between figures. The clip triggered widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians alleging systemic manipulation.
However, the APC leadership has dismissed the viral footage. The party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said many of the videos being shared were outdated or unrelated to party activities, insisting that APC primaries were conducted under proper arrangements with identifiable party branding and structure.
Similarly, a ward returning officer in Abia State denied allegations of vote manipulation, claiming that the viral clip attributed to the exercise was digitally altered and not representative of what occurred.
Despite these denials, opposition voices and civil society actors insist the explanations do little to restore public trust. A former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, criticised what he called “inconsistent arithmetic” in the primaries, questioning how vote counts could exceed logical numerical boundaries.
He also noted that while irregularities appear widespread, similar concerns were not exclusive to one party, acknowledging isolated cases even within opposition primaries.
In the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), a campaign group alleged that declared votes in several states far exceeded the number of registered party members. It claimed that in some cases, turnout figures surpassed membership lists by over 300 per cent, describing the situation as “statistically impossible.”
The group further alleged intimidation and procedural violations in some locations, including reports of armed individuals disrupting voting processes in parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has also faced its own controversy. Some party stakeholders accused the party of opaque processes, including claims that decisions were made in hotel rooms rather than at open voting venues. Supporters of rival camps described the process as a “managed outcome” rather than a competitive primary.
Former presidential aspirant Rotimi Amaechi had earlier criticised the ADC process, insisting it fell short of internal democratic standards, while other aspirants reportedly stayed away from the final announcement of results, citing irregularities.
Across multiple states, APC senatorial and House of Representatives primaries also generated conflicting outcomes, with rival officials announcing different winners in the same constituencies. In some cases, candidates rejected results outright, claiming they were predetermined or written before voting took place.
Analysts say a major structural weakness is the absence of verifiable party membership registers. Although the Electoral Act 2026 mandates political parties to maintain and submit digital membership databases, legal disputes over deadlines have left room for ambiguity in how primaries are conducted.
Justice rulings extending compliance timelines have further complicated enforcement, effectively allowing parties to proceed with primaries without a fully verified national register.
This gap, experts argue, has made it easier for inflated figures, non-members, and parallel delegate lists to influence outcomes in several states.
The situation has also triggered political realignments, with defections reported across party lines. Several high-profile figures, including former security chiefs, ministers, and legislators, have left the APC in the aftermath of the primaries, citing dissatisfaction with internal processes.
Within the emerging opposition space, parties such as the New Democratic Coalition (NDC) have attempted to position themselves as alternatives, though they too face scrutiny over candidate selection methods, including reliance on consensus arrangements rather than open voting in some states.
As Nigeria moves toward 2027, analysts warn that continued disputes over internal party democracy may weaken public confidence in the electoral system as a whole.
At the centre of the debate remains a fundamental question: if the process used to select candidates is widely disputed, what legitimacy can be attached to its outcome?
For many voters, that question remains unanswered.
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