NIGERIA

Party primaries open Nigeria’s election season

August 18, 2018

The primaries for the country’s 2019 general election, which sees a record number of parties registered, open in August. Several parties are joining forces to challenge the main players, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In the 2015 elections, Nigeria had 40 registered political parties. Sixty-eight parties have registered to contest the presidential and Legislative Assembly polls on Feb 16, 2019, and the gubernatorial and state elections on Mar 2.

The APC, formed through the merger of four opposition parties ahead of the 2015 election, made history when it defeated the long-ruling PDP. It has already named its presidential candidate, the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari.

Potential presidential nominees for the PDP include former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose.

Both the APC and PDF are reported to be struggling with intra party rivalries and disputes that undermine their cohesion and open a window for challengers.

An analysis of the primaries and election by African Arguments notes that Nigeria could see a powerful third party emerge in 2019 for the first time. The most popular phrase in the country ahead of the 2019 vote is Third Force, according to the publication, and various groups are trying to tap into a reported appetite for an alternative to the APC and PDP. Thirty opposition parties have joined forces under the banner of the Coalition for a New Nigeria (CNN), and former president Olusegun Obasanjo has helped set up the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM). African Arguments points out that the Nigerian Intervention Movement, Revive Nigeria and Emerging Leaders’ Summit are also trying to jostle for position.

It reports that citizen-led groups, such as the Red Card Movement and Not too Young to Run are also striving for a place in the race.

#22616 Published: May 8, 2018