What Type Of Party Primaries Are Allowed By Law? | Election 101

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:04]Welcome to Elections 101 in 52.0, where we unpack the laws, the regulations, and guidelines that govern elections in Nigeria. I am Samson Itodo.

[00:00:14]Election 101 in 5 is an initiative of Yiaga Africa with support from the European Union under the EU Supports to Democratic Governance in Nigeria program. Today, our focus is on the types of primaries allowed by law. Now, let's get right into it. What types of party primaries are allowed by law?

[00:00:34]We took this question to the street, and here the interesting things some Nigerians had to say to us.

[00:00:40]See.

[00:00:42]Direct and consensus primaries.

[00:00:45]For the direct primaries, uh you have the you give the citizens the opportunity to go and choose the person that they feel it has the capacity to lead.

[00:00:54]Why the consensus primaries I feel if there are more than two, three, five contestants, you decide to come together and give chance for the other person that they feel can lead the party very well.

[00:01:06]My answer is B.

[00:01:08]Primary direct primary or consensus.

[00:01:10]From I think the last changes they did in the law, I think that was what was actually given.

[00:01:15]So, I felt that it probably with the law and what covers the party and what sort of changes it comes with.

[00:01:21]Good observations. Here is what the law and INEC regulations establish. Section 84 sub two of the Electoral Act 2026 permits only two types of primaries.

[00:01:33]Direct primaries and consensus.

[00:01:37]In direct primaries, all party members in a constituency vote to determine the party candidate.

[00:01:45]All party members as long as they are on the party register.

[00:01:49]A party organizing direct primaries is required to submit a copy of its membership register for the relevant constituency to INEC not later than 21 days before the primaries.

[00:02:02]A political [snorts] party must clearly state the types of primaries it intends to adopt in its constitution.

[00:02:10]If a party tends or intends to change the type of primaries already filed with INEC, it must notify INEC 3 days before the date of the primary and state the reasons for the change.

[00:02:26]So, let's look at consensus. Under Section 87 of the 2026 Electoral Act, a political party that adopts consensus candidates shall secure the written consent of all declared aspirants for the position indicating their voluntary withdrawal from the race and their endorsement of a consensus candidate.

[00:02:49]INEC regulations requires that that written consent from all declared aspirants must be submitted to INEC monitors who are deployed to the venue of the primaries and that document shall serve as a document contained in the official report of the commission. So, what's the practical difference? Direct primaries are broader, are more democratic. Every member of a party in a constituency has a vote.

[00:03:21]But for consensus primaries, they are faster but require that every single aspirant voluntarily agrees in writing that they are withdrawing and they are endorsing a particular candidate.

[00:03:35]If one aspirant fails to grant a consensus, then the party must conduct a direct primary.

[00:03:44]This means that parties cannot force consensus on aspirant. It means the The consent of aspirant is a legally enforceable document and not just a formality.

[00:03:56]So, as a voter if your party claims to have conducted consensus primaries ask whether all the aspirants signed the written consent forms. If they didn't and no direct primary was held, the entire process will be void.

[00:04:15]And that's election 101 in five. If you have questions or even topics you'd like us to cover, feel free to reach us on any of the social media handles on your screen. [snorts] You can also catch this episode and other episodes on our YouTube channel at Yaga One. Also, join our WhatsApp channel for more election updates by searching for Yaga Africa on your WhatsApp channel tab.

[00:04:39]Remember democracy is not won on election day. It is won or lost in the primaries. So, stay vigilant and engaged. Thank you for watching. I am Samson Itodo.

[00:04:52]See you next time.

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