​₦30bn primary spending killing Nigeria’s democracy – Falana

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has warned that the staggering infusion of illicit wealth into party primaries is rapidly transforming Nigeria’s democracy into a plutocracy run by the highest bidder.

​Speaking at the 8th Penpushing Annual Lecture in Abeokuta, Falana condemned the intense commercialisation of the country’s electoral process, citing EFCC figures indicating that governorship aspirants spend up to ₦30 billion just to secure party tickets.

Speaking on the theme “Restoring Electoral Integrity: The Path to Good Governance and Public Accountability,” Falana also asserted that consensus arrangements systematically rob ordinary party members of their fundamental right to elect candidates of their choice.

“Political exclusion has historically encouraged undemocratic forces to undermine democratic institutions across Africa”, he said

Falana therefore warned that genuine electoral integrity is impossible without transparent internal party democracy.

“Please, let us stop deceiving ourselves. If you are going to talk about electoral integrity, you must start with the primaries.

​”If you are spending between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion on a primary election, how much are you going to spend in the real election?” Falana asked,

He further argued that money on that scale cannot come from legitimate earnings and can directly fuels post-election looting of public treasuries.

He therefore warned against attempts to shrink the political space by deregistering opposition parties, tasking relevant authorities to prioritize internal party reforms to restore trust in the nation’s democratic processes.