Barely eight months to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, political stakeholders and analysts are expressing serious concern over the way political parties are handling their internal processes, especially party primaries.

Across major parties such as the APC, ADC, PRP, PDP, SDP and AAC, there are growing reports of acrimonious primaries, imposition of candidates, vote manipulation, money politics, factional struggles and rising defections.These issues, according to observers, are weakening internal democracy and raising fears about the credibility of the upcoming polls.

In the ADC, a major leadership and candidate crisis has emerged with parallel conventions producing different presidential candidates, alongside disputes over legitimacy of party structures.

Similar tensions have also affected the PRP, where allegations of inflated vote counts and procedural irregularities led to calls for cancellation of its presidential primary.

Within the PDP, uncertainty continues as prominent figures show interest in the presidential ticket, while speculation around possible returns of high-profile politicians has further complicated internal dynamics.

The APC is also not spared, as its primaries across several states have been described as controversial, with accusations of godfatherism, imposition of candidates and manipulation of delegate lists.These disputes have already triggered defections of key political figures citing unfair treatment and exclusion.Political analysts warn that if these trends continue, voter confidence may decline, leading to apathy and weakened legitimacy of the 2027 elections.

They argue that Nigeria’s electoral challenges are not just about individuals, but deep-rooted systemic failures in party organisation and political recruitment.

Overall, stakeholders believe that without stronger internal democracy and fairer processes, the credibility of the 2027 elections may be seriously undermined.