The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Sam Amadi, has described the 2026 primary elections conducted by Nigeria’s political parties as the most poorly executed on record. He made this assertion during an interview on Arise Television, which was monitored by DAILY POST on Sunday night.
Amadi argued that the situation has regressed compared to the 2022 primaries, attributing the decline to a lack of accountability. According to him, when political actors face no serious repercussions for flouting procedures, there is no incentive to improve. He noted that rules are often ignored because violators rarely face consequences.
He further explained that if parties and candidates consistently lost elections due to unfair or opaque processes, they would be compelled to adopt better practices. However, the current climate encourages what he termed “political banditry,” where individuals believe they can circumvent due process without penalty. When such conduct goes unpunished, it undermines democratic institutions and emboldens further violations.