Direct primaries intensify internal party conflicts – Dickson

National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has reiterated his criticism of Nigeria’s direct primary system, contending that it fuels internal party disputes and widespread complaints across the political spectrum.

Speaking in an interview with Arise Television, Dickson said that the inclusion of mandatory direct primaries in the Electoral Act was a legislative mistake that stripped parties of the flexibility to decide their own candidate selection methods.

He argued that parties should have been allowed to choose between direct and indirect primaries, insisting that a single mandated model has created avoidable tensions.

According to him, the former delegate system offered greater structure and control, reducing disputes and limiting the scale of contestation compared to the current arrangement.

“We did not have this deluge of complaints under the delegated system,” he said, adding that reforms intended to deepen democracy had also introduced significant logistical and administrative challenges.

Dickson noted that under the current framework, electoral bodies such as INEC must coordinate extensive ward‑level processes—a task he described as highly complex, especially for new and emerging parties.

He further argued that the direct primary system creates an environment where multiple aspirants can independently declare victory based on differing claims and interpretations of results, leading to parallel announcements and disputes.

“In a direct primary situation, people go into the field, gather supporters, declare themselves winners and begin to brandish results,” he said.

While acknowledging that grievances are not unique to any single party, Dickson maintained that the system itself contributes significantly to internal conflicts and competing claims within political organisations.