HOW THE DELEGATES SYSTEM WORKS IN NIGERIA
Every election season, terms like “Party delegates” get tossed around loosely. They are known for different things to different people. Some believe all delegates are present for their pockets and self-interest. Others believe that the delegates have control of the party and are not willing to choose anyone who doesn’t play ball or dance to their tune. To some, the delegates should not exist and the party should leave the choice of their candidates to the electorate to decide for them. They might possess some of the traits described above or they might not. As we go into a significant aspect of the electoral process, it is important to know who the party delegates are, how they are selected and if they are just after money. This will help to provide a vivid understanding of how party primaries take place across the different political parties and the critical role delegates play.
How does the election take place at the Party level?
There are two modes of election for political parties in Nigeria. The direct primary and the indirect primary. Under the direct primary election, all registered party members vote at the wards. Section 84 (4) of the electoral act states that when a party chooses a direct primary to elect its candidates for elective offices, it must ensure that all registered party members vote for the candidates at the wards. The candidate that emerges from the votes of all registered party members in the wards across the country becomes the flagbearer of the party.
Under the indirect primary election, the party chooses delegates to represent the larger populace of the party. Section 84(5) of the electoral act requires such a party to choose as its presidential candidate the aspirant who receives the highest number of votes of the delegates at a national convention of the party. Most political parties have opted for the indirect mode of voting to conduct their Presidential primaries.
Who are party delegates?
Before now, the tradition of the major political parties (APC and PDP) was to define the delegates as members of the National Working Committee, State Working Committee, Local government congress, past Presidents and Governors in the party, members of the National Assembly and state house of assembly, women leaders and youth leaders of the party. In addition to this, the party selected one or in some cases, three individuals at the local government level to represent their local government as delegates in the national convention. Before the electoral reforms took place, this was the norm of the political parties. These officials form statutory delegates. Until recently, all government appointees also served as statutory delegates. The recent electoral reforms removed them.
How are Delegates Chosen?
The Local Government excos, after Ward and LGA congresses, choose delegates to represent their Local Governments and wards. Furthermore, the Governors submit the names of their loyalists in these Local Governments, to help them promote their interests at the convention. In States without sitting Governors in the party, it is an open race. In the past, power brokers and political bigwigs forwarded the names of their chosen delegates within the party. Therefore, whoever controlled the party within the state had significant input in selecting the delegates. The new electoral act corrected some of these things. However, there are still reports of the process being undemocratic like in the case of Anambra PDP.
What the new Electoral Act says about Choosing Delegates
The new electoral Act made some changes to the selection of delegates. Section 84(8) states that “A party that adopts the indirect primary system for the choice of its candidate shall clearly outline in its constitution and rule the procedure for the democratic election of delegates to vote at the convention, congress or meeting”. Only democratically elected delegates can vote at the state and national conventions.
Furthermore, the electoral act eliminated automatic delegates such as the President, Governors, National Assembly and State house of Assembly members, past Presidents and Governors in the party, from participating in the process. In the case where they wish to be ad hoc delegates, a democratic election decides if they are chosen or not. However, on 11th May 2022, the Senate amended the portion of the Electoral Act 2022 that prohibits statutory delegates from participating and voting during conventions, congresses and meetings. According to a report in the Guardian newspaper, the Senate cited the omission of statutory delegates as an unintended error which must be corrected with an amendment as soon as possible. It is not clear if this amendment will take place in time before the primaries.
Also, one issue that has been a matter of contention in the electoral act is Section 84(12). This section states that “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party to nominate candidates for any election.” Before President Buhari assented the Electoral Bill into law, he asked the National Assembly to amend this clause but they refused. For this reason, political appointees seeking office had to resign their appointments. Others abandoned their political ambitions and chose to stay with their appointments. However, the President and the Attorney General have taken the National Assembly to court to provide a clearer interpretation of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act. As it stands, political appointees cannot vote or be voted for at the convention or congress.
Who controls the delegates?
There are numerous views that the influential individuals within the party control the delegates. This cannot be confirmed or denied as you will find different narratives on the internet to support or refute this claim. However, it should be noted that the delegates are a representation of a larger group of people in the wards, local government and the state. Every state wants to have a say in the affairs of the country and participate in the decision-making process. Therefore, whatever decisions the delegates are making at the convention has to reflect the desires of their people at home. In some cases, it is these same delegates that defend the votes for their party at the local government and ward levels.
Is money a major factor in how candidates emerge?
Money plays a major role in how candidates emerge but it is not the only factor. All candidates/aspirants spend money in the buildup to the national convention. The travels and logistics, entertaining guests and politicking across the nation all involve money. Also, the housing and feeding of delegates in the host city of the national convention. An aspirant might take care of their accommodation and feeding. Various aspirants pay visits to them in different hotels across the city, to negotiate and try to canvass their votes. Most of these aspirants might give cash incentives too during such meetings.
However, a delegate can get money from different aspirants and still not vote for him/her in the primaries. The delegates vote for the candidate with the highest chances of succeeding in the general elections. This is because they might like money but they also want their party to control the resources of the state for the next four years. Therefore, a candidate with popularity and a nationalistic approach emerges as the flagbearer.
Final thoughts
The indirect primary election has been used at different times by political parties. Unfortunately, the process has not always been free and fair in some parts. Reports of different electoral discrepancies and imposition of candidates occurred on different levels. However, there is hope that the electoral act will fix some of these discrepancies. INEC as the major electoral umpire should be on guard to supervise the process within the parties and ensure that the desire of the parties reign supreme at the primary elections. As for the electorate, we have no control over what happens at this stage because we are not registered party members. All we can do is sit back and hope that the best candidate with the ability to move the country forward emerges as the flagbearer. Also, get your PVC.
