Comparative Costs of Candidate Nomination and Political Party Primaries in Nigeria: A Study of the PDP and APC (2019-2024)

Elections in Nigeria have gradually shifted the democratic procedures towards resembling a marketplace, where the contender offering the highest financial bid emerged victorious. The arrangements for the 2023 general election, specifically the procurement of expressions of interest/nomination forms and party primaries, presented a potential threat of marginalizing candidates who lacked substantial wealth. By examining the costs linked to the nomination and party primary procedures within the All-Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party, this study delved into the degree to which financial motives influenced the Nigerian democratic system. The study employed a descriptive research design; depended on secondary sources of data and was analysed using thematic content analysis. Clientelism was utilized as a theoretical construct to expound upon this issue. It was found that the APC and PDP deliberately increased the costs of nominations to marginalize less affluent and economically disadvantaged competitors. This was evident in the extravagant use of dollars during the parties' primaries. In order to restore the integrity of nominations and party primaries in Nigeria, it was necessary to implement changes that extended beyond politics and involved civil society, the voters, international partners, and other stakeholders.