Iyobosa Uwugiaren argues that what should have been a democratic process aimed at strengthening public trust in the electoral process during the All Progressives Congress’ primaries instead became another symbol of the deepening crisis within Nigeria’s political culture.
The controversies trailing the outcomes of the recent primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have once again exposed one of the greatest threats to the nation’s democracy — the persistent absence of internal party democracy.
From reports of violence and thuggery to complaints of candidate’s imposition, manipulation of delegates’ lists, vote-buying, intimidation, rigging and lack of transparency, the exercises have left many Nigerians questioning whether political actors truly understand the essence of democracy beyond the pursuit of power.
Although complaints emerged across the country, nowhere were these political fraud and rascality more pronounced than in Edo State, particularly in Edo South, where discontent among party faithful over the conduct of the primaries became impossible to ignore.
What should have been a democratic process aimed at strengthening public trust in the electoral process instead became another symbol of the deepening crisis within Nigeria’s political culture.
