All Progressive Congress (APC) Intra-party Conflicts and Management of Governorship Election by Independent National Electoral Commission in Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

In Kogi State of Nigeria, Intra-party conflicts emanate in different forms while the most debilitating part of the conflict to the society as a whole and the electoral process in particular are those arising over the choosing of party leadership and candidates. While there has been a plethora of works on intra party conflicts and the entrenchment of democratic values within those parties in Nigeria, the sphere of intra-party conflicts within the All Progressive Congress(APC) during the Kogi 2019 and its attendant effects on INEC’s conduct of the election have received little attention. The study objectives include evaluating the causes of intra-party conflicts with the APC in the 2019 governorship elections in Kogi State and investigating if such conflicts had any effect on the operations of INEC in its conduct of the 2019 gubernatorial polls in Kogi. Data were obtained through an unstructured interviews and questionnaire, and analyzed using simple percentage. The population of the study covers the members of the (APC) in the state, INEC, Security personnel and observers. A sample of 105 respondents was chosen from the population of the study. Findings of the study were that the following factors led to intra-party conflicts within APC: nepotism, tribalism and corruption, non-inclusiveness in decision making, Neglect and non-compliance to the party constitution, Power or leadership tussle, Concealment of vital information, Injustice, unfairness, godfatherism and imposition of candidates. The study also discovered that intra party conflict impedes the smooth efficient management of election by INEC in the following ways: Inability of INEC to properly monitor party primaries, undermining INEC’s capacity to deliver efficient elections, Apathy on the part of the voters caused by conflicts escalating into violence, Negative Impact on Lives and Properties as prolonged violence leads to far-reaching consequences that affect not only the electoral process, but also the overall well-being and prosperity of citizens. This study has established the facts that intra-party conflicts have a great impact on the effectiveness in the conduct of the 2019 governorship election in Kogi State. The study recommended training and capacity building for party officials on intra-party conflicts; put in place effective measures to enforce existing provisions of the law on party primaries; the party should create level playing ground amongst aspirants and member inclusiveness in all party activities to check constant intra-party conflicts.