By Dr. Joel Ademisoye, United States
I beg, the use of Consensus Method to select a candidate or an aspirant for a political office by the APC ruling party in Nigeria, is a fade, affront for and an antithesis of the Nigerian democracy, a mechanism designed to avoid the primary election and to impose the candidate or aspirant, which is favored and supported by the political party establishment at each level of the party election stage in Nigeria. Although, the Nigerian Electoral Act of 2022, put some conditionalities on it, in order to make the law valid, such as: 1. Written Consent from the all aspirants or candidates, 2. Voluntary withdrawal and 3. Ratification of the consensus candidate via a convention. Also, it must be noted that the Nigerian Supreme Court has approved the use of the consensus candidacy by a political party in Nigeria, but it must not violate the fundamental rights of members to participate in the nomination process, such as the imposition of an aspirant on the party (Top/Down ).
Against this backdrop of the constitutional requirements as stipulated by the Nigerian Supreme Court, but the truth of the matter is, who belts the cat in the country in terms of the strict enforcement of the laws?
At the end of the nomination process , the Nigerian people’s fundamental voting rights, functions and duties are expunged and substituted for, bypassed to and replaced by the consensus aspirant, instead of the orthodox primary election, where the Nigerian voters can freely exercise their voting. rights and choosing their preferred candidate for a political office.
The use of consensus method, is likened to a club that only allows the aspirants for office can vote NOT other members voting to choose and elect their officers. I think that the use of the consensus candidacy by the APC Party in the 2026- 2027 election cycle, which is indeed exclusionary and undemocratic.
However, for this writer, it might be passing the litmus test of the Nigerian constitutional requirements, but it is disturbing, appalling and short of meeting and satisfying the country’s democratic values, principles and practice as reflected in the primary election, where full participation, is available, allowed by the Nigerian citizens in electing of a candidate for a political office in the country. I, therefore, characterize the consensus candidacy as part of the political jungle electoral laws that permits the selection rather than the election of candidates through the back doors of the electoral process in Nigeria. In fact, arguably, the consensus method is a cog in the wheels of the Nigerian democracy. The bitter truth is, consensus politics, is the Leeward Side of the country’s democracy. You know that it is possible for a wealthy Nigerian and rich candidate among the aspirants for a political office, to use the corrupt practice and means to lure, use money to bribe and buy out the other aspirants. Remember, that in Nigeria, it is a country, where anything goes and is possible, if the money is right. This is totally a political gimmick, to elect a preferred candidate or aspirant for a political office by the APC Party establishment, machine and powers that be in Nigeria, which is openly and glaringly radically in opposition to the use of the primary election, that allows for the transparency, accountability and the Nigerian citizens’ full participation in the electoral process of electing their candidate of choice or aspirant via the primary election.
Lastly, the use of consensus candidate or aspirant by the APC Party, is susceptible to corruption, cheating and manipulating tendency by the big wigs and political leaders of the party in the presidency, the state governor’s office and the National Working Committee (NWC), the party’s top political hierarchy in Abuja.
Leave a comment