National Assembly Passes Electoral Amendment Bill Removing Indirect Primaries

The National Assembly of Nigeria has passed the Electoral Amendment (Repeal) Act 2026, introducing significant changes to Nigeria’s electoral framework, including the removal of indirect primaries as a method for nominating party candidates.

One of the most consequential aspects of the amendment is the repeal of Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2022, which previously allowed political parties to select candidates through direct primaries, indirect primaries, or consensus.

If signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the amendment will restrict political parties to only two options for nominating candidates: direct primaries and consensus. The indirect primary system, which has been widely used by several parties since 1999, would no longer be legally recognized.

What Changes Under the Amendment?

Under the outgoing framework, indirect primaries allowed delegates elected at ward, local government, and state levels to converge at a special convention or congress, where they would vote to determine a party’s candidate. This system has historically been favored by the Peoples Democratic Party for many of its internal elections.

By contrast, direct primaries involve all registered members of a political party voting at the ward level to select their preferred aspirant. Results are then ratified at a special convention or congress. The All Progressives Congress has used direct primaries in several contests, including its 2018/2019 presidential primary that produced former President Muhammadu Buhari as candidate.

The consensus method, which remains permissible under the new amendment, requires all cleared aspirants to formally withdraw and endorse a single candidate in writing. This approach has also been used in recent governorship primaries in states such as Ekiti and Osun.

Debate Over Democratic Impact

The removal of indirect primaries has sparked mixed reactions across political circles and among observers of Nigeria’s democratic process.

Supporters argue that direct primaries deepen internal party democracy by expanding participation to the entire membership base rather than limiting decision-making to a relatively small group of delegates. They contend that indirect primaries are more susceptible to manipulation and financial inducement because of the limited number of voting delegates.

Critics, however, warn that direct primaries could introduce logistical challenges, inflate costs, and open new avenues for disputes over party registers and membership verification. Some also question whether party structures nationwide are sufficiently organized to conduct credible direct primaries without controversy.

Broader Context

Beyond the nomination clause, debates surrounding the amendment bill also touched on the issue of electronic transmission of election results. Civil society organizations and opposition figures had advocated mandatory real-time electronic transmission, while lawmakers retained provisions allowing manual transmission where electronic systems fail.

With the bill now awaiting presidential assent, political stakeholders are closely watching whether it will be signed into law or returned for further legislative review.

If enacted, the amendment could significantly reshape internal party power dynamics ahead of the 2027 general elections, potentially weakening the influence of delegate blocs and strengthening grassroots membership participation in candidate selection.

As discussions continue, the development underscores ongoing tensions between electoral reform efforts and political strategy within Nigeria’s evolving democratic landscape.