What manner of primaries?

As a guest last week on a television programme, I was surprised, initially, that a fellow discussant could advocate ‘consensus’ approach in choosing candidates for the forthcoming elections. But, based on his explanation and analysis, his argument is worth looking at more closely even though I will never support imposition of candidates. Incidentally, it was on the day that the All Progressive Congress (APC) had its primary for the Lagos State governorship ticket. Hopefully, this column will examine what happened that day soon, even as the party’s generalissimo, Bola Tinubu, reaffirmed his grip on APC.

A quick look at the concluded primaries of both APC and PDP, with some still on the way this week, shows that as a country our politicians have not changed for the better. There have been accusations of rigging, manipulation of delegates’ lists or outright ‘disappearance’ of such lists in some cases as though they were pins, parallel primaries, defections, and last minute withdrawals usually when an aspirant wants to avoid humiliation at the primary as it becomes apparent that he or she would be unable to scale the hurdle. We have also seen pockets of violence in some states with the usual practice of thugs and miscreants, usually dispatched by aggrieved candidates with the backing of government apparatus who discovered that official support is not enough to guarantee victory.

It has also confirmed the aphorism, all politics is local, as some National Assembly members who are seemingly more known nationally, have been shown that home politics is more paramount than Abuja wheeling and dealing. Or how do we explain the loss of Senators Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross River), the senate leader; Uche Chukwumerije (PDP, Abia State) and the late withdrawal of Abike Dabiri-Erewa (APC, Lagos) a House of Representatives member from the Ikorodu primary with the humiliation of Eziuche Ubani (PDP, Abia) in Osisoma/Obingwa/Ugwuanagbu constituency? Ndoma-Egba, a Senior Advocate, is suave, urbane, and a fine gentleman by all standards but the PDP members preferred John Owan-Enoh currently serving in the House of Representatives. Curiously too, it was a former House of Representatives member, Mao Ohuabunwa, who defeated Chukwumerije.

Some governors also reaffirmed that the senate is fast becoming a retirement home when they complete their maximum two terms of four years each. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Theodore Orji, Abia; and Jonah Jang of Plateau all picked tickets to go to the Senate. This came after Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta and Sullivan Chime of Enugu withdrew from the primaries in their states. All are members of PDP even though APC is not seemingly better off too. There are pockets of new faces equally as Ben Murray-Bruce, Stella Oduah, and Buruji Kashamu are set to become senators.

At a personal level, nothing is more gratifying than seeing Omowumi Olatunji-Edet, who represents Oshodi-Isolo 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly losing in her bid to return to the assembly. As a resident of the area, I can testify that the last four years of her representation added no value to our lives and the APC is on the right path of covering lost ground by voting her out.

But how come primaries have suddenly become keenly contested affairs with the stakes so high? Why the manipulation, trickery, and deceit that characterized them in some areas? First, we must acknowledge that politics is perhaps the only profitable venture in Nigeria today. Even before our government introduced austerity measures, a lot of citizens are finding it tough to sustain themselves and with the humongous salaries and allowances our public office holders earn, the competition to join them must definitely be fierce. If we now add the patronage that comes with political office in a depressed economy like ours, you have a perfect incentive for tough primaries.

Increasingly too, party supremos are finding it difficult to sustain the culture of imposition they are more at home with. No one could have predicted that APC would actually allow primaries to select its candidates at all. While there are still pockets of so-called consensus arrangement or adoption in some areas, the party has shown a remarkable improvement in choosing its candidates.

Primaries are part of what we adopted from the American presidential system of government and we need to situate it well in the context of our political development. We do not have true political parties in the strictest sense of it, which is why we still have political machines reminiscent of Tammany Hall, a powerful political engine of graft and political corruption that essentially ran New York City throughout much of the 19^th century. It is not surprising then that we have allegations of bribery of delegates at party primaries some involving open negotiation for votes at primary venues.

But as Tammany Hall’s influence waned in the 20th century, one hopes that political machines’ grip on primaries too will disappear gradually as our political parties develop.