The crises rocking Nigeria’s major opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections have renewed calls for the adoption of independent candidacy, as stakeholders seek alternative pathways for credible aspirants shut out of troubled party structures, SEYE OLUMIDE reports.

With internal wrangling, leadership disputes and factional divisions continuing to undermine opposition parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), concerns are mounting that many aspirants may be left politically stranded as the electoral cycle gathers momentum.

The unfolding uncertainty has intensified advocacy for constitutional reforms that would allow individuals to contest elections outside the confines of party sponsorship, if not in 2027, then in future electoral cycles.

The call for independent candidacy within Nigeria’s political space is not new. The Electoral Reform Committee, headed by the late Justice Mohammed Uwais (set up in 2007 under the administration of late President Umaru Yar’Adua), recommended the introduction of independent candidacy. The committee proposed that individuals should be allowed to contest elections without belonging to any political party.

The Uwais Committee argued that political parties have become gatekeepers that often impose candidates rather than reflect the popular will. Many credible aspirants, it noted, were excluded due to godfatherism, internal party crises or lack of structure.

It further maintained that allowing independent candidates would expand democratic participation and deepen electoral competitiveness. Although the recommendation was not for a free-for-all, it suggested safeguards such as demonstrable, broad-based support through voter signatures, compliance with regulations set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and adherence to financial and ethical standards similar to those imposed on party candidates.

Despite its significance, the recommendation has not been implemented. Successive constitutional amendment efforts by the National Assembly have debated the issue, but political resistance, largely from established parties wary of losing control, has stalled its adoption. This has remained a major limitation in Nigeria’s democratic evolution, reinforcing party dominance and restricting political alternatives.

The Uwais Reform Committee envisioned independent candidacy as a corrective tool, one that could weaken entrenched political structures and return power, at least partially, to the electorate.

However, Nigeria’s political elite and entrenched godfatherism have retained Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which restricts political participation in elections to political parties alone. The section expressly provides that no association other than a political party shall canvass for votes for any candidate at an election or contribute to the funds of any candidate.

In practice, this provision has been interpreted to mean that only political parties can sponsor candidates, thereby excluding independent candidates from Nigeria’s electoral space.

Beyond Section 221, other constitutional provisions governing eligibility for elective offices, including Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177, are drafted on the assumption that aspirants emerge through party nomination processes.

Worse still, the Electoral Act, which governs elections, compounds this limitation. Operating under the supremacy of the Constitution, the Act recognises only party primaries, nominations and party-submitted candidate lists. While the National Assembly has, at different times, amended the Act to improve transparency and internal party democracy, it lacks the political will to introduce independent candidacy without first altering the Constitution.

Despite repeated calls by civil society groups, reform advocates and some lawmakers, the Constitution, as it currently stands, leaves no legal room for individuals to contest elections outside the sponsorship of registered political parties.

The need for independent candidacy
The deepening leadership crises across Nigeria’s major opposition parties have revived, with unusual urgency, the long-standing call for the legalisation of independent candidacy after the 2027 general elections.

What was once treated as a theoretical reform option is increasingly being framed as a practical necessity, as parties struggle to maintain internal coherence, legitimacy and the capacity to field candidates within timelines set by INEC.

At the heart of the crisis is the persistence of factional leadership disputes, many of which are now subjects of protracted litigation. In the PDP, unresolved tensions over the national secretary position and zoning arrangements have created parallel loyalties and weakened party structures in several states.

Similarly, the Labour Party remains engulfed in a leadership tussle, with Julius Abure insisting on judicial validation of his position at the Supreme Court. Until such disputes are conclusively resolved, the legitimacy of party executives responsible for conducting congresses and primaries remains questionable.

This legal uncertainty directly threatens parties’ ability to meet INEC’s strict electoral timetable. The commission’s schedule, from ward and state congresses to primaries and final submission of candidates, leaves little room for prolonged litigation. Any delay in resolving disputes could invalidate primaries conducted by factions later deemed illegitimate, thereby disqualifying entire party structures from presenting candidates.

For instance, INEC officially kicked off activities for the 2027 general elections on April 23, 2026, as the 38-day window for political parties to conduct primaries opened. Parties have until May 30, 2026, to hold primaries for presidential, governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly positions, including resolving disputes.

They must also submit membership registers at least 21 days before their primaries, with the overall submission deadline fixed for May 10, 2026.

This tight timeline may leave many aspirants on the platforms of the troubled parties in precarious situations, even if the Supreme Court eventually delivers judgments on pending disputes.

Beyond internal crises, the scale of defections in the current political cycle has compounded instability. Unlike previous election cycles, where defections were strategic but measured, the pre-2027 landscape has witnessed what can only be described as an avalanche of political migration.

High-profile politicians are switching allegiances with unprecedented frequency, often without ideological justification, driven instead by survival instincts amid collapsing party structures.

The combined effect is a political environment where party labels are increasingly unreliable vehicles for electoral participation. Aspirants, unsure of the legal standing of their parties or the durability of alliances, are left exposed to the risk of disqualification through no fault of their own.

It is within this context that the call for independent candidacy gains traction. Proponents argue that allowing individuals to contest elections outside party structures would insulate credible candidates from the dysfunction of party politics, ensuring that leadership crises do not disenfranchise both aspirants and voters.

Ultimately, the urgency of this reform lies in the narrowing window before 2027. Unless the courts expedite rulings on pending disputes and parties resolve their internal contradictions, Nigeria risks a scenario where major opposition platforms are either too weakened or too legally encumbered to participate effectively. Independent candidacy, therefore, is no longer just a democratic ideal; it is emerging as a safeguard against systemic political failure.

Except in Nigeria, independent candidacy has worked successfully in several democracies worldwide, allowing individuals to contest elections without belonging to political parties.

Countries such as the United States, Ireland, Australia, India and Kenya have produced influential independent lawmakers, governors and local officials. In Ireland and Australia, independents often influence coalition governments, while in Kenya and India, they regularly win parliamentary and regional elections. The success of independent candidacy in these countries is largely driven by flexible electoral laws, strong democratic institutions, voter confidence in individuals and reduced dependence on political party structures.

Commentators and political stakeholders have expressed mixed but largely supportive views on the introduction of independent candidacy in Nigeria, though many doubt the political elite would permit it.

A university don and author, Adebayo Williams, said independent candidacy is desirable but unlikely to be allowed because Nigeria’s political system, since 1999, has been built around strong political parties. He argued that the parties have become elite-controlled structures driven by godfatherism, monetised primaries and weak internal democracy.

According to him, the ruling elite and political godfathers would resist any constitutional amendment that could weaken their influence, especially at the grassroots and legislative levels where independent candidates could realistically win.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Labode Popoola, described independent candidacy as common in advanced democracies and said Nigeria should gradually adopt it, beginning from the local government level to avoid distorting the national political process.

A senior member of the ruling party, who spoke anonymously, blamed the crisis in opposition parties on alleged collaboration between the Federal Government, INEC and the judiciary to shrink political space, arguing that independent candidacy could have rescued many frustrated aspirants.

Former Ogun lawmaker and Afenifere chieftain, Senator Femi Okurounmu, also accused the government of using INEC and the courts to interfere in party affairs, saying such actions threaten democracy.

A lecturer at Lead City University, Ema Jimo, argued that independent candidacy would reduce internal party crises, monetisation of politics, and open the space for morally upright individuals, though he warned it could also encourage personality cults.

Similarly, Femi Ajayi of Obafemi Awolowo University said independent candidacy could strengthen democracy, but may struggle electorally because democracy is a numbers game.

He, however, noted it could serve as a platform for protest votes.

President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, supported the reform, saying many aspirants are trapped by party crises and godfatherism. He lamented the humiliation aspirants endure before securing party tickets, especially at the hands of political godfathers, and called for future constitutional amendments to permit independent candidates.

Former Senate Minority Leader Olorunnimbe Mamora also endorsed the idea, insisting that Nigerians’ wishes should prevail over institutional resistance. He said responsibility for the current situation extends beyond INEC to the National Assembly and judiciary.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa, who represented Lagos East (2011-2019), said the issue of independent candidacy has remained before the National Assembly since 1999, but lamented that, unlike the sustained agitation for state police by various groups, regions and stakeholders, there has been no coordinated push for its adoption.

According to him, no National Assembly would “just wake up and start deliberating on a constitutional amendment to pave the way for independent candidacy” without sustained pressure and advocacy from outside the legislature.

Ashafa noted that although the proposal could strengthen democracy if eventually adopted, there was a need for extensive research and broad consultations to examine its likely implications for the country’s political system.

“As good as the topic sounds and the positive impact it could bring to our democracy if eventually adopted, it requires in-depth research and studies on independent candidacy and its possible effect on the polity,” he said.

He added that various interest groups and stakeholders must begin canvassing support for the idea, stressing that without organised advocacy, the proposal would remain at the level of public discussion.

“Several groups also need to stand up and start canvassing for it; otherwise, it will not go beyond the realm of discussions. To expect the National Assembly to revisit and legislate on the issue without pressure from outside will not yield any result,” he stated.

But Okurounmu argued that independent candidacy alone would not solve Nigeria’s electoral problems. He maintained that the real issue is the lack of a truly independent electoral body.

Drawing comparisons with the United Kingdom and the United States, he said governments in Nigeria still manipulate INEC and the courts to influence political outcomes, warning that the same interference could also affect independent candidates.