Party primaries conducted ahead of the 2027 general elections have drawn sharp criticism from Nigerians, with many describing the processes as flawed, controversial and undemocratic.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and other political parties have conducted their primaries to select candidates for presidential, governorship and legislative positions.

However, allegations of inflated figures, imposition of candidates and lack of transparency have continued to trail the exercises, leading many Nigerians to express concerns about what the actual 2027 general elections may look like.

Saturday Telegraph spoke with some Nigerians on their assessment of the primaries, and the responses showed that many citizens are deeply worried about the credibility of the processes and conduct of the polls.

In his reaction, the Founder of Mission Against Injustice (MAI), Ige Asemudara, said that the outcome of the just-concluded primaries is a dangerous signal that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat. According to him, democratic principles appear to have been completely undermined.

“What happened in the just-concluded primaries is a signal that Nigeria’s democracy is endangered because we have seen it turned upside down,” he said. Also speaking, constitutional and human rights advocate, Chief Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan, lamented the declining state of democracy in the country.

“We have never had it so bad. It’s a terrible downward spiral into the abyss and, as a true believer in democracy, I hold the current crop of recycled political gladiators accountable,” he stated.

For the Director of Administration and Programmes of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Tola Oresanwo, the party primaries were characterised by vote-buying, pre-filled results, falsified figures and imposition of candidates. He described the exercises as nothing but a sham capable of weakening public confidence in the electoral process.

Also reacting, an Abuja-based civil servant and political enthusiast, Matthew Agbajor, alleged that those in charge of the primaries simply allocated figures to aspirants indiscriminately. “The party primaries recently conducted by the All Progressives Congress and other parties were nothing to write home about.

The whole exercise, especially that of the APC, was a sham,” Agbajor lamented. “They simply awarded figures and shortchanged others. Even President Bola Tinubu was allegedly allocated figures.

You could see how those counting the votes were making a mockery of the entire exercise. “They were jumping figures in large numbers, yet the returning officers still accepted and announced the results,” he said.

Our democracy is endangered Asemudara

Ige Asemudara called the APC primaries a sham and make-belief, saying that in some places, the primaries were outright fraud, tyrannical impositions and stage-managed chicanery. The ADC, he said, did not fare better as, according to him, the party too had a highly dollarised fanfare called primaries.

He said: “We have seen democracy turned upside down. The APC primaries were a sham and make-belief. “In some places, the primaries were outright fraud, tyrannical impositions and stage managed chicanery. “The governors were just doing what they liked.

The Presidential Primary was un-enterprising and bland. “It appeared like a joke.” The lawyer frowned at a situation where the parties’ forms were too expensive and out of the reach of genuine Nigerians who had not participated in the loot.

“And when you think ADC would do better, you would be perturbed at their highly dollarised fanfare called primaries. “Our political class has disappointed all of us; for fallen short of the high expectations of Nigerians,” he said.

It’s a terrible downward spiral into the abyss, says Akpan

Chief Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan said further; “We have never had it so bad. It’s a terrible downward spiral into the abyss and as a true believer in democracy I hold the current crop of recycled political gladiators accountable.

“A situation where politicians focused on their selfish political interests are jumping from one party to the other is even more worrisome. “While freedom of choice is a constitutional right, a situation where politicians’ crisscross the political space and jump from one party to other sometimes on a weekly basis leaves a sour taste in the mouth.”

Oresanwo: What we witnessed was gross violation of internal democracy

Tola Oresanwo added: “Definitely, this is not the type of democracy Nigerians wanted as citizens expected accountability, choice, and representation. ”What we witnessed was a gross violation of internal democracy. “The hallmark of a functioning democracy is competition for power, not a coronation or what is popularly called ‘anointed candidate’. ”

A situation where party delegates or leaders, not the broader party membership or the electorate, decide winners of the primary election is fraudulent and a rape of democracy as this undermines the principle of ‘one person, one vote’ within parties.

”The implication of this atrocious act on governance is that when candidates emerge through manipulation rather than merit, they feel accountable to party godfathers or financiers, not the public,” he said.

Mixed reactions trail exercises

It was alleged that the APC leader in Sokoto State single-handedly endorsed and imposed candidates for various elective positions ahead of 2027. However, APC and ADC chieftains in the state, speaking at different fora, explained that the consensus primary elections were conducted in line with their party rules and regulations.

According to them, all candidates were affirmed based on their credibility and experience in people-oriented issues. Meanwhile, supporters of the ADC in the state pointed accusing fingers at the party leadership.

A political analyst, Adamu Bello, said that what transpired during the primaries was a reflection of crisis of internal party democracy in Nigeria, noting that the process was largely influenced by governors and not delegates. He said: “What we saw in these primaries reflects a deeper crisis of internal party democracy in Nigeria.

The Electoral Act 2022 tried to fix this by giving INEC power to monitor primaries, but enforcement is still weak. “The process was largely driven by governors and party leaders, not delegates. “In several states, we saw consensus candidates announced without real voting. Where voting held, the numbers did not add up.

That erodes legitimacy from the start.” A trader in Abuja, Musa Abdullahi, said that the controversies surrounding the primaries showed that political parties had learnt little from previous electoral crises.

Even prominent party members including Iyabo Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Tinubu, and other aggrieved party members, accused party leaders of hijacking the process and substituting the will of delegates and members with predetermined outcomes.

A former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges and an aspirant for the Ndokwa West/Ndokwa East/Ukwuani Federal Constituency in Delta State, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, condemned the outcome of the APC primaries and the process of the whole exercise alleging that there was nothing like elections.

Ossai, a three-time member of the House argued that direct primaries were meant to curtail irregularities but unfortunately, it may become the Achilles heels of the current democracy if not properly handled. A member of the APC in Asaba, who gave his name as Chukwudi, said that many loyal members were disappointed by the outcome.

“We spent money, mobilised supporters, and participated in the process believing that votes would count, only for figures to emerge from nowhere. This is not what democracy should represent,” he lamented.

Hassan Aidoko, a mechanic at Kugbo Mechaníc Village, Abuja said what he witnessed was not election but a joke. To Ifeanyi Mbanaso, a vulcaniser in Nyanya, Abuja, “This is not election and this is not democracy.

I don’t know if the party leaders are not ashamed of what transpired in the primaries. It is just a sham. And I expected the ADC, which says it wants to rescue Nigeria to be better but they followed the APC to do the abracadabra.

“My brother, there was no election. To me, it was a show and at best a show of shame. How can other nations take us seriouly after seeing what our politicians are doing,” he said. APC gubernatorial aspirant in Benue State, Dr. Jeffrey Kuraun, who protested the primaries, insisted that there was no election in the state.

According to him, “The APC governorship primary election conducted in Benue State on Thursday, May 21, 2026 was not credible, transparent, or reflective of democratic standards expected within a ruling political party.

“What transpired was a grave subversion of internal democracy and a deliberate manipulation of a process that ought to have reflected the genuine will of party members across the 276 Council Wards and 23 Local Government Areas of Benue State.”

Another party stakeholder, Alhaji Abdullahi Tanko lamented that, “With the pattern of party primary conducted by this government, it’s clear APC is not ready to win any election in Nigeria come 2027, imposition of candidates by party faithful.

An activist, Comrade James Edache, added that the APC wasn’t ready to win any general elections, and wondered why the party is forcing candidates on the people when voters have already rejected them outright.

An APC chieftain in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Mrs. Faith Jumbo, said the process had deepened divisions within the party. “Many aspirants entered the race in good faith, but the process was skewed from the beginning. Some delegates were allegedly locked out while others complained of pressure to vote in a particular direction,” she alleged.

A civil society organisation, Coalition for Democratic Accountability, in a statement issued in Abuja, warned that the continued manipulation of party primaries could discourage competent Nigerians from participating in politics.

The group’s Executive Director, Martha Eze, said political parties must understand that democracy begins with transparent internal processes. Also, a youth activist, Chinedu Maxwell, said that he was excited that he would participate in the electoral process for the first time, but got disappointed and discouraged after watching the outcome of the primaries on television and other media platforms.

Controversies over tickets in Ondo

Meanwhile, there are controversies over the out- come of the APC primaries in the three senatorial districts of Ondo State, with different aspirants rejecting the outcome of the exercise. In Ondo Central, the aspirants rejected the outcome of the primary that produced Dr Taiwo Fasoranti as the senatorial candidate.

Also, the aspirants in the three districts rejected the outcome of the primaries. In Ondo South, all the aspirants, except Dr Duerimini Isaacs Kekemeke, who was declared the winner, kicked against the outcome.

A former Deputy Governor, Hon Alfred Agboola Ajayi, a former lawmaker, Mayowa Akinfolarin, and others kicked against the outcome of the polls.

Similarly, in Ondo North, Dr Alex Ajipe and other aspirants protested the outcome of the primary that produced Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye as the candidate.

Lamentations in Oyo

Chief Adebayo Adelabu, APC aspirant expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the primaries that produced Senator Sarafadeen Alli as the winner and gubernatorial candidate of the party.

He said that the conduct was peaceful and orderly in his North West Local Government ward, but was manipulated in many other wards. Rejecting the conduct, he said; “Information reaching me from many wards was that our delegates were chased away violently and prevented from voting.

“At some wards, voting did not even take place at all and they recorded numbers. This kind of misconduct is condemnable. We are going to write a serious petition against this act. It is not good for our democracy