By UduakAbasi Ikpat
Democracy does not die suddenly. It fades gradually when the people begin to feel distant from the decisions made in their name. It weakens when political participation becomes the exclusive preserve of a few powerful actors seated behind closed doors while ordinary party members merely watch events unfold like spectators in a theatre whose ending had been written.
That has long been one of the quiet frustrations within Nigeria’s political culture. And for years, most party primaries often resembled carefully managed coronations rather than genuine democratic exercises. Delegates emerged more influential than the party members. With consensus becoming a polite political vocabulary for predetermined outcomes.
It could be recalled how aspirants for offices courted political godfathers more intensely than the grassroots. In many instances, the ordinary party faithful, the man who pastes posters under the rain, the woman who mobilises voters in her community, the youth who defends party ideals, existed only as numerical strength during elections but remained largely invisible during selection process.
That is why the direct primaries conducted by the ruling APC across different levels deserve deeper reflection beyond the routine headlines of landslide victory and defeat. What happened was not just about candidates emerging, It was about participation, inclusion and restoring, at least in principle, the silenced voices of the grassroots.
In partisan politics, people do not merely want to vote during general elections, they also want to matter before elections. It is against this backdrop that APC’s adoption of direct primaries also created a sense of belonging by allowing party faithful across different levels to participate directly in determining who flies the party’s flag at polls.
Indeed, it could be said without fear of contradiction that the exercise was a reminder that democracy becomes healthier when participation widens and political ownership extends beyond a privileged circle. At the national level with the party’s presidential primaries, the process reaffirmed the consolidation of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership within the party and a unanimous adoption of his Renewed Hope Agenda for 2027.
Yet, looking inwardly beyond his predictable emergence at the elections, the primaries projected a party attempting to demonstrate confidence in grassroots structure rather than relying solely on elite arrangements. Such symbolism matters a lot in a democracy which is increasingly threatened by political apathy and growing public distrust.
An estranged system where citizens often complain that decisions are taken long before they arrive at polling units. They also complain that candidates are usually imposed and the political participation has become ceremonial rather than giving meaningful outcomes to public service and democracy.
These direct primaries however, despite their imperfections, has continued to prove itself a formidable attempt to confront the perceptions by expanding the democratic space within party structures and giving ordinary members a stronger sense of political relevance nationwide.
Of course, no political process is entirely free from influence. Nigerian politics over the years remains shaped by incumbency, alliances, structures and power dynamics. And even within those realities, the principle behind direct primaries still firmly represents and underscore an important democratic principle that party members should not be completely excluded from decisions affecting the future of their party.
In Akwa Ibom State, this became even more significant with Governor Umo Eno’s emergence through the APC direct primaries. His victory was not merely the product of political authority; it reflected broader acceptance among party members of his leadership direction and governance philosophy. The process allowed supporters across wards and local government areas to openly identify with the ARISE agenda of his administration.
It’s pertinent to take cognizance of the fact that democracy is strengthened not only by outcomes but also by wider participation in the process itself. When people feel carried along, they tend to defend the legitimacy of the outcome of such processes more passionately because they see themselves as stakeholders rather than spectators.
In the state, the party’s primaries therefore carried a message beyond the governor’s emergence by reinforcing the growing belief within the party that governance and political legitimacy must remain connected to the grassroots.
For three years, Governor Eno has steadily built a people and result-oriented governance style around accessibility, calm leadership and sustainable development.
Through the ARISE Agenda, we have witnessed projects in healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, rural development and social welfare have continued to shape public perception around his administration or dispensation as governor.
But governance alone does not complete the essence of democracy, as people also desire inclusion in actual political decision-making process and transparency in leadership recruitment.
This is where direct primaries gained importance. Unlike tightly controlled delegate systems where only a small number determine political outcomes, direct primaries broaden participation and reduce the distance between leadership and ordinary party members. They create the feeling that the party belongs not only to influential stakeholders and elected officials, but also to the grassroots whose loyalty sustains structure during difficult seasons.
Naturally, criticisms and logistical concerns will continue to follow direct primaries, as with every democratic process while it’s widely acknowledged that no electoral system is entirely perfect. However, the broader significance lies in the willingness to open political participation beyond restricted circles and allow ordinary members to feel visible within the party.
Democracy survives not merely because elections are conducted, but because people genuinely feel connected to the whole process. That perhaps explains the deeper meaning behind APC’s flying colours at the just concluded direct primaries across different levels.
