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Election Update : a Report on the 2014 Party Primaries in Nigeria

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Election Update : a Report on the 2014 Party Primaries in Nigeria SITUATIONROOM NIGERIA CIVIL SOCIETY SITUATION ROOM Vol. 1 No. 1 ELECTION UPDATE A REPORT ON THE 2014 PARTY PRIMARIES IN NIGERIA not allow for a level playing field. For 1.0 INTRODUCTION instance, in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the primaries for the T h e presidential ticket was practically Nigerian foreclosed against challengers of the electoral incumbent President Jonathan. In the system APC, while the party appeared to have requires conducted a transparent primary at the political presidential level, Governorship tickets parties to in the States controlled by the party conduct were foreclosed against opponents primaries of sitting first term governors. In nominating addition, officials in the APC holding candidates positions in its National Working to contest Committee appear to have foreclosed elective challenges for all positions they were office. This may be by direct or indirect primaries. interested in. Political party primaries proffer excellent clues as * The major political parties appear to to the possible challenges in the general elections. have made little progress in the area They also serve as a meaningful indicator of of greater visibility/representation in where politics in a country is headed. elective and administrative positions Section 31(1) of the Nigerian Electoral Act 2010 (as for women and the physically amended), requires all registered political parties challenged. to submit, in prescribed forms, the lists of all * The various media outlets need to be candidates they propose to sponsor for an election encouraged to balance reporting to not later than 60 days to the date appointed for accommodate all registered political elections. The last few weeks of 2014 witnessed parties. the wrapping up of party primaries in the various registered political parties in fulfilment of this requirement. 2.0 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES The current President Dr Goodluck Ebele This report notes that there were several Jonathan was the sole candidate for the Peoples shortcomings in these political party primaries Democratic Party (PDP). A Former Head of State, conducted between 29th November and 12th General Muhammadu Buhari, won the majority December 2014. of votes cast at the All Progressives Congress Our findings reveal: (APC) presidential primaries. Gen Buhari scored a total of 3, 430 votes to defeat current Kano State * The officials responsible for conducting Governor, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso who had the primaries of the major parties did a total of 974 votes and former Vice president, Election Update Atiku Abubakar, who polled 954 votes. Governor in his favour and Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, Founder Rochas Okorocha of Imo State had 624 votes cast of Leadership Newspapers polled 10 votes. 2.1 LIST OF PRESDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND THEIR RUNNING MATES NAME OF POLITICAL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDI- PARTY DATE PPN Allagoa Kelvin Chinedu Arabamhen Mary CPP Chief Sam Eke Hassana Hassan APA Ayeni Musa Adebayo Anthony Faith Ologbosere PDP President Goodluck Jonathan Namadi Sambo APC Major General Muhammadu Buhari Prof. Yemi Osinbajo HDP Ambrose Albert Haruna Shaba ACPN Ganiyu Galadima Balarabe Ahmed KOWA Party Prof. Comfort Oluremi Sonaiya Saidu Bobboi AD Rafiu Salau Prof. Clinton Cliff Akuchie UDP Godson Okoye Haruna Adamu ADC Dr. Nani Ibrahim Ahmad Obianuju Murphy-Uzohue NCP Martin Onovo Ibrahim Mohammed UPP Chekwas Okorie Bello Umar AA Tunde Anifowoshe-Kelani Comrade Paul Ishaka Ofomile *As released by INEC as at 31st Dec 2014 State where fifteen political parties have 3.0 GOVERNORSHIP PRIMARIES. presented governorship candidates. These In most candidates include APC's Akinwunmi Ambode, States the PDP's Olujimi Agbaje , Ayodele Akele for the governorship National Conscience Party, Pauline Adegbe for primaries the Progressives Peoples’ Alliance , and Godwin were Mayor as the governorship candidate for the conducted Allied Congress Party of Nigeria and others. In only by the Nassarawa State, Alhaji Yusuf Agabi emerged PDP, APC the winner of the Nasarawa State PDP primaries and APGA. defeating the immediate past Minister of One of the Information Labaran Maku. Labaran Maku soon exceptions to after decamped to the All Progressives Grand this general Alliance (APGA) and clinched the governorship rule is Lagos ticket of that party. Election Update 4.0REMARKS AND OBSERVATIONS 4.3. PARTY IDEOLOGY AND RHETORIC National issues of insecurity and corruption 4.1. ORGANIZATION were at the forefront of rhetoric at both To a large extent, the governorship and the APC and the PDP primaries. Youth presidential primaries were well organised and unemployment and gender rights were also violence free. covered. Glaringly absent however was any concrete discussion about economic policy In States such as Lagos and Taraba where the change in the face of dwindling oil revenue. conduct of the APC governorship primaries The country's controversial anti-gay laws also led to discontent amongst some members and went undebated. in Oyo where some PDP members disagreed with the outcome of governorship primaries, aggrieved persons staged walkouts and did Religious and ethnic politics played a greater not resort to violence. In Bayelsa, Lagos, and more visible role in the selection/election Kebbi however, skirmishes erupted during of candidates at the State and Federal levels the Federal and State Legislative primaries than it did in 2011. The PDP and APC in Lagos in spite of the presence of soldiers and riot State made Christianity a criterion for choice police. of governorship candidates. Gen Buhari, the 4.2. DEMOCRATIC PROCESS presidential candidate of the APC similarly chose a Christian running mate, Prof. Yemi In most situations the democratic process Osinbajo, a former Attorney General of Lagos of polling and public counting of votes State. was observed by the parties. The greatest threat to this display of internal democracy 4.4. EQUAL REPRESENTATION was the 'incumbency factor'. In the PDP, The major political parties continued with the the President as well as some incumbent trend of poor representation of women and governors such as Ibrahaim Dankwanbo of Gombe and Mukhtar Yaro of Kaduna were unanimously returned as candidates. The claim by the PDP leadership that the President's selection was unopposed has since been disputed. Dr. Abdul Jhalil Tafawa Balewa and Prof. Akasoba Duke-Abiola both intending presidential aspirants of the PDP have granted media interviews where they described the selection as undemocratic and coerced. Though the APC National Secretariat issued warnings against the adoption of consensus candidature of APC's Senator Jumai Alhassan governorship candidates, all incumbent whose governorship primary win would have Governors on the APC platform were returned been a celebrated first for a Northern woman with little opposition. They include Governors was not accepted by the National Secretariat. Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Ibikunle Amosun Some of the other political parties fared much (Ogun), Umar Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), better. The United Progressives Party (UPP) Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ibrahim Geidam waived form fees for women and persons (Yobe), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Abiola living with disabilities seeking political office. Ajimobi (Oyo) and Rochas Okorocha (Imo). The KOWA party elected a woman Prof. Comfort Oluremi Sonaiya , as its Presidential Election Update candidate. The Progressive Peoples Alliance whether or not the PDP presidential primaries also has a woman – Mrs Pauline Adegbe as its complied with the relevant provisions of the governorship candidate in Lagos State. Act. A member of the PDP, Prof. Akasoba Duke-Abiola, in a suit instituted at the Federal 4.5. MEDIA REPORTING High Court Abuja, contested the validity of the party's presidential primaries based on The major political parties took full advantage of the provisions of Sec 87 (3) of the Electoral the various media outlets during the conduct of Act 2010 (as amended), which requires that primaries. The APC president-ial primaries as all aspirants be given equal opportunity of well the PDP presidential rally were broadcast being voted for by members of the party. She live on National Television networks. Pre- contended that the party flouted the provisions accredited Journalists were allowed access of the Electoral Act by refusing to provide her the party’s Expression of Interest Form after she paid the required N2 million for it. The PDP leadership reached out to the aggrieved member and it is no longer clear that the matter is being litigated. Another relevant provision is Sec 34 which provides that“ The Commission shall at least 30 days before the day of the election publish by displaying or causing to be displayed at the relevant office or offices of the Commission and on the Commission’s website a statement of the full names and addresses of all candidates". These lists have since been displayed at into most venues throughout the country. the INEC offices in various States and the FCT. At the time of filing this report, the The focus of the media on the APC and Commission's website is yet to be updated PDP primaries however resulted in a lack with the list of governorship candidates. of coverage for other parties throughout the country. Information of the results of 5.0. CONCLUSION primaries of these other parties are therefore mostly available only through INEC. The just concluded political party primaries in Nigeria show that the major political 4.6 COMPLIANCE WITH THE parties have improved in their ability to ELECTORAL ACT organize
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