Institutionalization of party primary elections and intra-party conflicts in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria

Abstract

The institutionalization of party primaries and candidate selection has elicited a robust discussion among scholars. Party primaries have been marred by various degrees of internal conflicts, squabbles and crisis with the implication that the internal structure of the parties are often mired in endless contestations. This paper interrogates the conduct of party primary elections by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the resultant intra-party conflicts. Specifically, the study investigated if the imposition of candidates by party stalwarts accounts for unusual defection of party members from PDP to other political parties in 2014. It also examined if the disagreements over zoning arrangements in the 2022 presidential primary election account for the emergence of G5 governors within PDP. The study adopted qualitative documentary method of data collection while content analysis was used in analysing the data. The findings from the study revealed that, the imposition of candidate by party stalwarts led to party loyaltys’ defecting from the party to other political parties. It also found that the disagreement over zoning arrangement led to emergence of G5 Governors. Hence, the study recommended that since PDP is not an elite party, it is necessary that the rank and files of the party is determined by collective action who flies the party flag in a general election.