Samson Itodo, who leads YIAGA Africa, says consensus isn't the real issue. How parties use it is what matters, he argued.
Several political parties are locked in disputes over candidate selection right now. The APC and others are divided over implementing Section 85 of the Electoral Act 2026.
Unhappy candidates claim they weren't consulted when their parties picked preferred nominees. They're pushing for primary elections instead of consensus picks.
Speaking on Arise News Friday night, Itodo made his position clear. "The problem isn't consensus itself," he said.
According to him, the real concern is implementation. "What we're seeing is organized theft in these primary processes," Itodo noted.
He described it as suppression of political ambitions. Power gets concentrated in a few hands, he argued, while party members lose their say.
Itodo stressed that this approach isn't democratic. Before 2024, parties had only two nomination methods available.
Direct primaries and indirect primaries were the traditional options. Then consensus was introduced to the system.
In his view, late President Buhari pushed for consensus through pressure. He wanted to legitimize a process already happening behind closed doors.
Looking at current practice, Itodo sees serious problems emerging. Aspirants get sidelined and real competition disappears entirely.
"What's happening is candidate imposition, not true consensus," he told the broadcast audience. The electoral framework allows for this, he acknowledged.
But genuine consensus requires everyone in a party to agree on a nominee. Special conventions must ratify such agreements under electoral law.
Real consensus narrows competition space significantly, Itodo warned. That creates its own set of democratic concerns.
His comments reflect growing tension ahead of 2027 elections. Party members across Nigeria are increasingly frustrated with selection methods.
