Before the Ballot: EU-SDGN Report Pushes Transparency, Inclusion in Party Primaries

By Zainab Uzomah

Abuja-A new report has assessed the conduct of Nigeria’s 2026 political party primaries, highlighting concerns over transparency, nomination costs, internal party processes and the representation of women ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The report, titled “Before the Ballot: Safeguarding Electoral Credibility in Nigeria’s 2026 Political Party Primaries,” was presented on Tuesday at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja under the European Union-funded EU-SDGN II programme.

The dialogue, anchored by Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, examined how political parties selected candidates following the 2026 electoral reforms and the candidate lists published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on September 12.

The EU-SDGN II programme supports electoral administration, political parties, the media, inclusion and civil society participation in Nigeria’s democratic process. The report noted that the 2026 reforms introduced direct primaries, giving party members a formal role in candidate selection.

However, it said key processes, including nomination forms, screening, consensus arrangements, internal appeals and the submission of candidates to INEC, continued to rest largely with party leaderships. It further observed that party rules, membership registers, result forms and INEC monitoring findings were generally not available, limiting the ability of aspirants, party members and observers to verify compliance or pursue challenges within the 14-day period provided by law.

On nomination costs, the report said presidential nomination forms cost as much as ₦100 million, while the APC fixed its nomination fees at ₦20 million for Senate and ₦10 million for the House of Representatives. It noted that the high cost of nomination could increase aspirants’ reliance on financial sponsors.

The report also raised concerns over women’s representation, stating that women constitute 346 of the 3,560 House of Representatives candidates, representing 9.7 per cent, compared with 9.2 per cent in 2023. It added that 160 constituencies have no female candidate.

On pending litigation, the report referenced the July 16 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Zenith Labour Party v INEC, which affected membership-based eligibility provisions introduced under the Electoral Act 2026. It noted that the Supreme Court heard INEC’s appeal on September 16 and has reserved judgment.

According to the report, the federal candidate lists comprise 18 presidential tickets, 1,303 Senate candidates and 3,560 House of Representatives candidates, with more than one candidate for every National Assembly seat. It added that pending court cases could still lead to amendments to the lists.

Presenting the findings, Ralph-Michael Peters and Florence Ganoux gave an overview of the report and its assessment of the 2026 party primaries, stressing the need for greater transparency and stronger safeguards as Nigeria moves towards the 2027 elections.

According to them, recommendations that political parties make available reasons and records relating to disputed candidate selections and replacements, while INEC should publish relevant primary-monitoring findings and explain changes to candidate lists. They also called for courts to deliver reasoned judgments within timelines that allow their decisions to be implemented, while urging political parties to reflect their Peace Accord commitments in guidance to officials and supporters.

For the 2027–2031 period, the report recommends a review of nomination fees, establishment of independent internal appeal panels, publication of party rules and primary results, and enforceable measures to improve the inclusion of women, young people and persons with disabilities.

It also proposes a joint review of nomination and litigation timelines by the National Assembly, INEC and the judiciary.

The dialogue was well attended by representatives of the Kukah Centre, DAI, INEC, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, the European Union, as well as representatives of various political parties and other electoral stakeholders.

The EU-SDGN II programme says its support for political parties is aimed at strengthening pluralism, internal democracy and equality of opportunity within Nigeria’s political party system.