The New Nigeria Peoples Party has scrapped primary elections for its 2027 candidates, choosing instead to select nominees through consensus among party members.
The party said it made this decision because primary contests in Nigeria have shut out qualified candidates from testing their strength in general elections. Party officials did not name specific instances, but the complaint points to a wider problem in Nigerian politics where primary elections often turn into winner-take-all contests that freeze out serious contenders.
The shift marks a sharp break from how the NNPP ran its 2023 primaries, when candidates competed openly for party tickets. That process produced Rabiu Kwankwaso as the party's presidential nominee, though he finished fourth in the general election behind Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.
The party also announced that it would pardon members it had expelled in recent years, bringing them back into the fold ahead of the 2027 cycle. The NNPP has been through internal turbulence, with defections and disciplinary actions fracturing its membership. Party leaders believe bringing back these members will strengthen its position before the next election.
Consensus-based selection has become more common in Nigerian politics, though critics say it can sideline grassroots opinion and concentrate power in the hands of a few party elders. The NNPP's move suggests the party believes unity matters more than internal competition in 2027. The party will now work to rebuild its ranks and settle on candidates it believes can compete nationally without the risk of primary contests that might weaken its eventual nominees.
