A new assessment by The Kukah Centre (TKC) has found that political party leaders and influential actors retained substantial control over candidate selection during Nigeria’s 2026 party primaries, despite reforms that gave ordinary members a formal role through direct primaries.
The assessment, From Nominations to Electoral Confidence: Nigeria’s 2026 Party Primaries: Findings and Priorities Before the 2027 Elections and During 2027–2031, examines the conduct and outcomes of the primaries and sets out actions for political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The assessment was undertaken by The Kukah Centre with support from the European Union under the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) programme.
According to the findings, direct primaries expanded the formal opportunity for party members to participate in candidate selection, but party leadership continued to control important stages, including access to nomination forms, screening, consensus arrangements and the submission of candidates to INEC. Internal appeals and national reviews could also overturn outcomes announced after voting and lead to controversial replacements.
Commenting on the findings, Rev. Fr. Atta Barkindo, Executive Director of The Kukah Centre and Head of Secretariat of the National Peace Committee (NPC), said the assessment showed that changing the method of voting in party primaries had not, on its own, addressed the wider question of control over candidate selection.
“Direct primaries gave party members a formal vote, but our assessment shows that important decisions about who gets access to forms, who passes screening, how consensus arrangements are managed and what happens after voting can still determine who ultimately emerges as a candidate. If members cannot access the rules, results and records behind those decisions, their ability to scrutinise or challenge the process remains limited.”
The assessment found that aspirants, party members and observers often lacked access to records needed to scrutinise nomination decisions. Party constitutions, primary guidelines, membership registers, accreditation figures, result forms, appeal decisions and INEC monitoring findings were largely inaccessible, limiting independent verification of compliance with nomination procedures.
The findings come as Nigeria moves further into the campaign period for the 2027 general elections. INEC’s 12 September candidate lists contain 18 presidential tickets, 1,303 Senate candidates and 3,560 House of Representatives candidates. The legislative field is 15.2 percent larger than in the corresponding 2023 publication.
High nomination costs were identified as another barrier to participation. Presidential form costs reached ₦100 million, while the APC charged ₦20 million for Senate forms and ₦10 million for House of Representatives forms. Aspirants also faced additional costs relating to screening, appeals, mobilisation, security and litigation.
Women account for 346 of the 3,560 House of Representatives candidates, representing 9.7 per cent, compared with 9.2 per cent in the corresponding 2023 publication. One hundred and sixty constituencies have no woman candidate.
The assessment identified nomination fees, screening, consensus bargaining and limited access to finance and party decision-making among the barriers affecting women’s participation.
It also found gaps in the information available for assessing the participation of young people and persons with disabilities. There is no verified national age profile of candidates, while seven House candidates have a disability recorded in the published list. The assessment cautions that this reflects disclosed information rather than the total number of candidates with disabilities.
Nomination disputes continue into campaign period
Unresolved legal and nomination disputes are also carrying over into the campaign period.
The assessment notes that the Court of Appeal’s 16 July judgment affected a membership-based safeguard incorporated into the Electoral Act 2026. By removing the link between eligibility and membership registers submitted before the primaries, the ruling reopened a route for unsuccessful aspirants to seek another party’s ticket after the main primaries, subject to other nomination and replacement requirements.
INEC appealed the judgment, and the Supreme Court heard the appeal on 16 September and reserved judgment, leaving the final legal position unresolved.
Federal campaigning had already commenced on 19 August, ahead of the publication of final candidate lists on 12 September. The assessment notes that late judgments in outstanding cases could still require amendments to candidate lists and, depending on the orders issued, changes to election materials.
Kukah Centre outlines actions before 2027 polls
The Kukah Centre recommends that political parties provide affected aspirants with reasons and relevant records for disputed selections, internal appeals and candidate replacements.
INEC should release relevant primary-monitoring findings, explain how disputed submissions were handled and provide reasons for subsequent changes to published candidate lists, while protecting sensitive personal information.
The judiciary is also urged to prioritise cases affecting party participation and candidate nominations so that judgments can be delivered early enough for implementation before polling.
Fr. Barkindo said the recommendations were intended to address issues from the primaries that remain relevant as the country moves towards polling.
“There are nomination disputes that have carried into the campaign period, so the immediate task is to make the relevant records available, resolve outstanding cases early enough for decisions to be implemented and clearly explain any changes to candidate lists. At the same time, parties must address intimidation, violence and inducement, while INEC needs to communicate clearly about its election preparations. These are practical steps that can still be taken before polling.”
The assessment further recommends that INEC identify pending cases that could affect candidate information, ballot approval, printing or distribution and prepare for any lawful changes arising from court decisions. Where changes are required, the Commission should explain what is changing, why and which aspects of election preparations are affected.
As campaigning progresses, political parties are urged to translate their Peace Accord commitments into clear instructions against intimidation, violence and inducement. Security agencies should protect candidates, voters, election workers, observers and journalists impartially and investigate reported abuses.
INEC should also make candidate information and election procedures accessible and explain its administrative and technological preparations, including test results, identified deficiencies and corrective measures.
Reforms beyond the 2027 elections
Looking beyond the elections, the assessment proposes sustained reforms between 2027 and 2031 to improve future candidate-selection processes.
These include reliable party membership records, publication of nomination rules and results, more affordable nomination fees, independent internal appeal processes and clearer procedures for challenging exclusions.
It also recommends enforceable inclusion measures for women, young people and persons with disabilities, covering candidacies, campaign resources and participation in party decision-making.
The National Assembly is encouraged to review nomination and litigation timelines in consultation with INEC and the judiciary so that disputes can be resolved before ballot production and other major election preparations.
The assessment calls for sustained follow-up after the 2027 elections, using nomination records, observer findings, court decisions and participants’ experiences to inform improvements in electoral law, party procedures, primary monitoring and dispute resolution ahead of the next primary cycle.
About EU-SDGN II
The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) programme supports efforts towards a more pluralistic, inclusive, participatory and representative democracy in Nigeria.
The Kukah Centre’s work to strengthen political party systems, internal party democracy, participation and inclusion is implemented with funding from the European Union under the EU-SDGN II programme.
